One of the greatest dangers in football administration is allowing lobbying, endorsements, personal relationships and friendship to take precedence over competence. When elections are decided primarily by loyalty rather than capacity, the result is often years of poor performance, missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises.
Of course, friendship has its place in politics and sports administration. It is natural to want people we know and trust to occupy positions of responsibility. However, friendship should never become a substitute for competence, and loyalty should never be valued above productivity. If truly one is loyal to his friends or relatives, they should be encouraged to build their CVs, develop themselves and position themselves for future openings and opportunities.
As Edo State prepares for another round of Local Council Football Association elections, stakeholders and delegates must reflect on the journey of the past three years and the consequences of the choices they make, momentarily.
For the past three years, one question has continued to demand an answer: Why have we heard so much about activities at the centre of Edo football administration, yet so little about developmental initiatives at the local council levels?
Why have there been so few compelling stories of football development from Ikpoba-Okha, Esan West, Ovia South-West, Ovia North-East, Oredo, Owan West, Akoko-Edo, Igueben, Uhunmwonde and other local councils? Where are the grassroots innovations, developmental programmes and practical interventions that should have made these football associations visible and impactful in their respective communities?
Why has the centre, particularly the state chairman, appeared to be the most visible driver of initiatives aimed at reviving the fortunes of Edo football? These questions deserve honest answers.
The concern is not that the state level has been active; that is something to welcome because the person sitting there wasn’t just an anyhow person when coming on board — he had served, laboured, trained and developed himself, with his huge contributions boldly written on the walls of time. He wasn’t just handpicked out of nowhere; that’s why there are tangible results to show in the last two years and a few months — Fred Newton earned his place, and he has delivered beyond expectations.
The concern is that local football associations should not become passive extensions of the centre, waiting for the state chairman to conceive, initiate and execute every meaningful idea.
Local council football associations exist to identify local challenges, discover talents, organise competitions, develop grassroots structures and create opportunities for young footballers, referees, coaches, and burgeoning administrators. They should be centres of innovation and development in their own right, not merely offices occupied for the prestige of holding a title.
Unfortunately, when appointments and elections are driven primarily by friendship, personal loyalty and the desire to put one’s own person in office, accountability becomes difficult. Nobody wants to challenge a friend, and nobody would want to demand results from a loyal associate. Before long, positions become rewards for relationships rather than responsibilities entrusted to capable hands.
The consequence is a system in which people occupy offices for three years without any clear innovation, measurable achievement or meaningful developmental impact to show for their tenure.
That is not how football administration should work.
As we approach another election, the fear is that such a pattern should not repeat itself. If delegates again prioritise friendship over ability, Edo football could face another three years in which 18 local government areas will remain redundant and burdening the centre as the primary source of ideas and activity, while local councils struggle to demonstrate independent thinking, initiative and productivity.
This is precisely why independent-minded candidates deserve serious consideration. The point is not simply that a candidate is independent, but that such a candidate should be free to think, innovate, challenge established shortcomings and deliver results without being constrained by personal loyalties or political obligations.
There is room for friendship; there should be room for loyalty; there should be room for endorsements and mutual support, but to what end is loyalty when it produces no tangible results? What is the value of friendship when it comes at the expense of development?
As loyalty without productivity is a burden, friendship without accountability will be a disservice, while an election victory that produces three years of inactivity will not be a victory for the football community.
Indeed, stakeholders should be more concerned when their preferred candidates fail to perform than when those candidates lose elections. There will be no greater embarrassment than defending a friend who has held public or sporting responsibility for three years without a credible record of achievement.
The Edo FA Local Council elections must therefore be about more than names, alliances, endorsements and personal interests. They must be about ideas, experience, competence, integrity and verifiable track records.
Delegates have a responsibility that extends beyond their friendships. Their votes will influence the future of grassroots football, the opportunities available to young talents and the effectiveness of football administration across Edo State.
Let’s encourage capacity, let’s appreciate ideas, let’s vote for people who can point to what they have done and explain what they intend to achieve.
Do not vote merely because a candidate is your friend, your pastor’s cousin, your woman friend’s nephew, your schoolmate or your sibling. Vote because that candidate has the competence to serve, the vision to innovate and the courage to deliver.
Ultimately, the question every delegate must ask, as it would be in Nigeria’s general election, should be as simple as: “Will your generation thank you for the choice you make, or will your friend be the only person who appreciates your vote while the football community pays the price?”
Choose what the future of Edo football will thank you for, not merely what your friends will thank you for today.