Nigerian Football Needs Fresh Start, Not Pinnick Return — Aderonke

Award-winning veteran sports journalist and sports development advocate, Arabinrin Aderonke, has urged Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to reconsider any proposal to bring former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick back into the administration of Nigerian football.

Aderonke made the appeal in an open letter to Gbajabiamila, following reports that Pinnick could be appointed to head a proposed Normalisation Committee within the NFF structure.

She argued that such a move could undermine efforts to reform Nigerian football, insisting that the country needs a “fresh start” rather than a return to leadership associated with previous challenges.

According to the veteran journalist, Pinnick’s tenure at the helm of the NFF was marked by several disappointing results, including Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

She also pointed to other qualification setbacks suffered by Nigeria’s national teams during the period, arguing that the records should be independently examined before any decision is taken on Pinnick’s possible return.

“The history and performance of Nigerian football under Mr Pinnick’s leadership raise serious questions about whether his return would represent the reform and fresh direction that Nigerian football urgently needs,” Aderonke wrote.

She stressed that her objection was not motivated by personal animosity, but by concern over the direction of Nigerian football.

Aderonke also called for thorough scrutiny of anyone being considered for a sensitive national football assignment, citing the need for transparency, accountability and institutional integrity.

“This is not about personal attacks; it is about protecting the integrity and future of Nigerian football,” she said.

The sports journalist urged the Federal Government to examine Pinnick’s record and the performance of Nigerian football during his administration before reaching a decision.

She argued that Nigeria needs administrators capable of rebuilding confidence, strengthening grassroots football, improving youth development and restoring the country’s competitiveness on the international stage.

“Nigerian football needs reformers, not a return to the past,” Aderonke said, while calling for leadership that would place national interest above “personal ambition, institutional glory or individual interests”.

She further warned that bringing back a leadership model associated with past failures could send the wrong signal and conflict with the Tinubu administration’s stated emphasis on performance, accountability and institutional reform.

Aderonke, who said she has spent almost two decades engaging with stakeholders in the sports sector, appealed to Gbajabiamila to independently assess the facts, records and statistics surrounding Pinnick’s tenure.

“Please, Sir, do not allow Nigeria to take a step backwards at a time when our football urgently needs a new direction,” she wrote.

She urged the Federal Government to ensure that whoever is entrusted with steering Nigerian football has a demonstrable record of competence, accountability, integrity and commitment to national success.

“Nigeria deserves better. Nigerian football deserves a fresh start,” she concluded.