Speaking to Trustsports yesterday on his disqualification, Lumumba said he was not aware of his widely publicized disqualification because the electoral committee was yet to communicate him officially.
He said he only heard about his disqualification over the radio and on the pages of news papers just as he expressed shock that the committee did not deem it necessary to invite him to appear before it before he was disqualified.
Lumumba therefore said that his disqualification is simply laughable and a calculated attempt to stop those of them who have the capacity to lead Nigerian football out of the doldrums from making it to the board of the NPL.
“I have not been informed officially about my disqualification. I only heard about it over the radio and in newspapers. I have not heard anything from the electoral committee. The decision to disqualify me is laughable and condemnable.
“I can’t imagine myself being disqualified by the body I nurtured. Most Nigerians do not know how the present NPL became autonomous from being a department under the then NFA. I was among those who fought for the autonomy of the league body in the days of Col. Musa Mohammed. Those who resisted the change are now the beneficiaries”.
Lumumba argued that despite his questionable disqualification, he is ably qualified to be on the board of the NPL because he has paid his dues as far as Nigerian League is concerned.
“I was pioneer vice-chairman of NPL, proprietor of one of the few privately owned and truly professional clubs, former football player, patron of coaches and referees associations, match commissioner, former member of Plateau State FA, member LOC Nigeria/Ghana 20000 Nations Cup, Chairman of the 2010 Africa Nations Cup bid Committee (which earned Nigeria the FIFA U-17 Championship) among so many other responsibilities, yet I am not qualified to be a member of the NPL board. This is ridiculous”.
He, therefore, observed that the behavior of the committee members simply shows that they are carrying out a script callously written for them to execute in order to install those who have been anointed to constitute the next NPL board.
“Without being told, from what has happened so far, we may not have the best materials for the League which is the heartbeat of Nigerian football. The recent postponement of the election has made it clear to Nigerians that the whole thing is a bundle of confusion. It means some people are not getting what they want or planned”.
Lumumba demanded that the portion of the electoral law which says candidates must be endorsed by Premier League clubs should be expunged otherwise; it will make nonsense of the whole exercise.
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