The former President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, has restated that he is not desperate but destined to return to his former post as president of the nation’s highest football governing body.
Lulu stated this while responding to question on his planned to return to the Glass House at the finals of the FOSLA Under-13 Cup competition held in his home town, Idah, Kogi State.
He said he was only succumbing to intense pressure from his football family and stakeholders to return to the post he lost in 2010 through impeachment.
“Once again, I have heeded to the clarion call. It is a call to national duty. Football is a game I love with passion and my achievements when I was the NFF President before I was forcefully impeached are still very visible.
“If Nigerians that realised the positive contributions I made towards the growth of the game of football in the country want me to return, then, I have no option than to oblige them.
“I believe the records under my then leadership were incomparable with that of the current leadership of the organisation as there were all-round success and no complaints from any quarters,” he said.
It will be recalled that the former FCT Director of Sports while serving his tenure as NFF President from 2006-2010, the Federation witnessed a tremendous development of grassroots football in the country, starting from the U-13 in 2007, from which the likes of Chidera Ezeh, Kelechi Iheanacho and host of other members graduated into the 2013 World Cup U-17 winning Golden Eaglets.
It is also worthy to note that during his period in office, Super Eagles soared high to an enviable ninth position in FIFA ranking as well as the qualifications of various national teams for all the FIFA-organised competitions.