The chairman of the FCT Football Association, Alhaji Adam Mouktar Mohammed, who was a candidate in the recently concluded NFF presidential election has said he stepped down for the eventual winner, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, in order not to divide northern votes.
It will be recalled that a few hours to the start of the election in Benin City, the trio of Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande, Adam Mouktar Mohammed and former General Secretary of the NFF, Barrister Musa Amadu stepped down for Ibrahim Gusau.
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In a chat with Daily Trust Sunday, Mohammed said during the campaigns, Gusau had solicited for his support for him to be elected the next president of the NFF.
According to him, the new NFF president explained to him how he has paid his dues and would want an opportunity to lead the Nigerian Football Federation.
Mouktar said he went ahead with his campaign but on the day of election, the camp of Gusau had another meeting with him where it was decided that votes from the north shouldn’t be divided.
“I stepped down for Gusau because he is a man who has paid his dues and deserves to lead Nigerian football. Before the election, he had a meeting with me to seek my support. When we arrived in Benin, they prevailed on me to step down for him.
“I accepted because I didn’t want us to divide his votes. So, my decision to give him my support was taken in the best interest of Nigerian football,” he said.
Mouktar, therefore, called on the new president to immediately reunite the football family in Nigeria.