Lagos — The Chairman of the Delta State Football Association Amaju Pinnick has denied that the South South Zone has endorsed the candidature of Mr. Baribote Rumson of Bayelsa United for the chairmanship of the Nigerian Premier League. Reacting to recent media speculations that the zone has endorsed the Bayelsa United chairman for the post, Mr. Pinnick insisted last night that such reports were false and misleading.

"The zone has neither met nor taken any decision as to who represent it on the board of the NPL and the NFF at the forthcoming elections.

Mr. Pinnick who also doubles as chairman of Delta Sports Commission stressed that at the appropriate time all the relevant stakeholders in football in the zone would meet and take a decision on the matters in the interests of the zone.

According to the DFA boss the South-South zone "is a united zone and we have always worked as a family and as such, we will not allow any selfish, ambitious individual to destroy the unity of genuine stakeholders."

Moreover, he said it was too early for anyone to begin to speculate when both the NPL and the NFF have not released guidelines for the elections.

"When the guidelines are released, we will screen all interested candidates, taking into account the interests of the six states that make up the zone.

He reiterated the confidence of the zone on Dr Peter Singabele and Chris Ekong, it's representatives on the board of the NFF and Chief Oyuki Obaseki and Oswald Otuake who are also the zone's eyes on the NPL board.