No faction in Supporters Club, says Ladipo

President General of the Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club (NFSSC), Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, has declared that there is no faction in the club rather what people refer to as faction is a few disgruntled elements that have since been suspended for anti-club activities.

Ladipo who led a team of national executive committee of the club to supervise the FCT Chapter’s election recently told Extra Time that referring to the Vincent Okumagba group as a faction is an error by anybody claiming that the makeup of the said group are suspended individuals who thought they could disorganise the club.

He noted that the group would have come back to beg again having apologised before, if not that both Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung and NFF President Amaju Pinnick are backing them up with the intent to destroy the club.

“We have no faction in the Nigeria Football Supporters Club. Members we suspended long ago and the man who gathered them together has even apologised to me, are the disgruntled elements people are referring to as faction.

“You see, I am here today with the National Chairman, Rev. Simon Ikpea, the National Treasurer, Public Relations Officer and other national executive members to supervise the FCT Chapter’s election and every member of the FCT Chapter is here. So, where is the faction,” he asked.

Ladipo maintained that both the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung and NFF President, Amaju Pinnick are the people trying to create faction where there is none for reason best known to them.

He said NFSC is a registered club with the Corporate Affairs Commission and he is in the custody of the documents as the person who registered it.

Ladipo further claimed that both the Minister and NFF President are fishing in troubled water and would rather get drowned than destroy the club which they did not contribute anything to its formation or day to day running.

Corroborating, the Chairman FCT Chapter, Frank Abioma said the chapter is not aware of any existing faction in the club. He noted that FCT Chapter is intact as one united body with its allegiance to the parent body and the National Chairman, Rev. Simon Ikpea.

He maintained that the NFSC is not a government agency and is not under the Minister of Sports or NFF president and as such owes them no obligation.

Abioma cautioned that the involvement of the duo by supporting a group of people disciplined by the club for anti-club activities will adversely affect the country’s national teams as witnessed in Uyo against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa recently.

Ben Nwachukwu, Abuja