Kaduna — Meanwhile, more reputable Nigerians and respected sports stakeholders are coming out to support the ambition of Engr. Sani Ndanusa to vie for the presidency of the Nigeria Olympic Committee as the battle for the presidency of the body gathers momentum.

The latest is renowned sports administrator and University don Dr. Ahmed Tijjani Yusuf. The two-time Secretary-General of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), rooting for the Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Engr. Sani Ndanusa to succeed Engr. Habu Gumel at the NOC heirachy said in Kaduna that as far as he is concerned, there is no controversy whatsoever in the forthcoming NOC election because "there are some misguided, misinformed and greedy elements who do not want other people to be involved in moving sports forward."

He said the Sports Minister has fulfilled all the necessary requirements to contest in the forthcoming election. He reasoned that not only is he the President of the Nigerian Tennis Federation (NTF), where even enemies can testify to what he has done to tennis in Nigeria, he is also the Vice President of the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT), as well as the President of the Zone Three of the West African Tennis Federation.

"What is the hullabaloo all about, because he clearly came on board in 2002 as the NTF President which is seven years as against the six years required? So to me, those claiming otherwise are the people who do not want sports to move forward in this country. They hide under the guise that they are sports administrators. Can they now tell us how they edged out William Boyd as the Secretary-General of the NOC? They cannot because they are hiding a lot of things," he added.

For the former Secretary for the Commonwealth Bid (Abuja 2014), who is now a lecturer with the Department of Physical and Health Education at the Bayero University (BUK) in Kano, there is no basis involving Mr. President in the matter at all, because it has not reached that level.

According to him, the same people keep saying government is interfering with sports in the country while the NOC is supposed to be an independent body. "So if there is any charter that bars the minister from contesting, they should tell Nigerians. Moreover, the minister is not going to stay in office for four or five years as minister. Therefore, we have punctuated all the lies being spread about this gentleman."

The former Zone Six of the NSC Co-ordinator further enthused that "Engr. Habu Gumel being a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a highly commendable achievement which goes to say that there is nothing involving Nigeria that he would not have a say at the international body. All Nigerians are happy with him over that position. But he should allow other Nigerians come into the NOC so that he too will someday get into the IOC for the good of Nigeria as a whole."

Dr. Yusuf also said Gumel must remember that he ascended the NOC presidency while still a director in the sports ministry as a government career staff for many years, which should have been an illegal thing. "His (Gumel) case was even worse than that of the minister who is just a political appointee."