The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National League (NNL) Bukola Olopade has resigned from the league body after it emerged that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have jettisoned the NNL’s idea of promoting eight teams to the top flight Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Olopade had in a medium on Wednesday vowed to quit his position if the resolution of the NNL Congress – which cancelled their mandatory playoffs in favour of promoting all eight teams – was not admitted by the NFF Executive board.
The former Sports Commissioner in Ogun State however issued a broadcast message on social media platform “WhatsApp” on Saturday morning addressed to the NFF President Amaju Pinnick, to announce his decision to resign after it became evident that the NNL have been told to conduct a playoff to send four teams to the elite division.
“I woke of -sic- this morning 8th Dec 2018 by a call from the League’s COO confirming to me that the NFF has gone ahead to direct that there must be a playoff to promote only 4 teams.
“Mr President, I respect the decision of the highest body in football but I now humbly inform you first through this medium and subsequently through an official letter of my resignation from the position of the CEO of the Bet9ja NNL,” wrote Olopade.
“Mr President, I once more thank you for the opportunity and also want to emphasize here that I have been very proud of your good work with football not only in Nigeria but in Africa and beyond, that feeling of pride for your excellent statesmanship in football remains with me as I wish you more fruitful years in your stewardship of football in Nigeria and the world at large,” concluded Olopade.
While Olopade receives commendations from many quarters for his decision to stand by his word – resigning if their resolution is not adopted, www.aclsports.com understands that his resignation was always going to be done regardless of the NFF’s decision.
“If anything is done, different from the decision reach by the NNL congress in Abuja, I, Bukola Olopade will activate my earlier resignation from the position of Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the NNL with immediate effect.
“Perhaps you dont know that I resigned five months ago but was persuaded to stay on by my good friend Amaju Pinnick, till the end of the season,” Olopade was quoted as saying on Wednesday while issuing the threat to resign.
While this is not expected to be the last in the back-and-forth of the resumption of the leagues in Nigeria, it must be noted that NNL Chairman Chidi Ofo Okenwa was quoted in an online medium on Thursday, hinting that the body has been directed to hold their Super 8 playoffs by the NFF although he denied granting an “official” interview to that effect later in the day.
