Ibrahim Galadima gets the post instead, but is it the right choice?

After a week of uncertainty, the NFA elects Ibrahim Galadima as its new chairman.

For a while it seemed that former England international John Fashanu would get the top job following a U-turn on his part to stand for election.

But is Galadima, rather than Fashanu, the right man for the job?

This debate has now closed. Here are a selection of your emails on the subject.

Galadima, is a good sports administrator I know. I have worked under him when he was Kano sports council's chairman. He listens to the players and always makes sure the players come first, not the officials. Under him, Nigerian football will get back to form.
Friday Abesin, Dublin

I think John is great and deserves to be the NFA chairman. He is "cool" as the Americans will say. Tall, handsome and also he has the right "connections" that are needed in today's international football politics. Nigeria should give this great son a chance. I feel he deserves it.
Kennedy Kelechi Halams, Houston, Texas, USA

I do not think Nigeria made the right choice. What we need in Nigerian football today is a radical change which can only be brought in by someone who has played the game at the top level. John is a better candidate in this regard. He also has enough exposure, experience and international connections that could further help Nigerian football to develop and attain its rightful place in world soccer.
Olumide Iyiola, Nigeria

The chairmanship of the NFA is not all about fame and connection but who the right man is, what he is, his contributions towards the development of football in Nigeria and, what he can do to improve football in Nigeria.

Fashanu is a force to reckon with in football as a player, but he is yet to prove himself worthy in football administration. However, that is not to say Galadima is a genius, but I hope he will perform well. Performance is a reflection of one's goals and objectives. Time will be the judge.
Tokunbo Ishola,England

I don't think Ibrahim Galadima is in the right post because Fashanu has the ability to take Nigerian football to greater heights.
Oyetunde Oyeyemi, Nigeria

I see that, as per usual, we Nigerians wish to put style over substance. The comments on this page against the candidacy of Fashanu are some of the most childish and banal I have seen! There should only be one criterion - ability to do the job.

Here is a guy with the commmercial, vocational and networking skills to do the job far better than the nepotistic, disorganised rabble that has failed our country for so many years, and what do we Nigerians do? We witter on needlessly about his so-called "abandonment" of Nigerian football.

We should mourn the loss of the chance to utilise his many skills that would have shaken up the cobwebs of our inept football association. As per usual, we have missed the boat.
Zuke, UK

The end does not justify the means. This largely is our problem in Nigeria. Galadima is definitely not the answer, and anybody who understand the game knows that.

But as for Fashanu, the issue involves more than what we as Nigerians stand to gain with his chairmanship. It is all about morals, and sending the right message to all Nigerians home and abroad.

When are we really going to start doing things properly in Nigeria? Only God knows! Let us put people like Odegbami Segun, Dudu-Orumen, Mitchell Obi, etc. in charge and let us watch them go. Not sheer opportunists and political boot-lickers.
Franklin Horward, USA

I must say I feel disappointed that Fash lost out. In my humble opinion he should have been given the mantle of purposeful and directional leadership of the FA.

If we all want to hold on to the past that much, then why do we still elect those that have ruined the country from one administration to another back into the system?

The man is ready to serve. He is experienced enough and also not polluted by the Nigerian system. Fash is my man still.
Henry, Nigeria

I think John Fashanu honoured the Nigerian Football Association invitation in 1985 to play in the 1986 World Cup African elimination series but he sustained an injury in training, which prevented him form playing for Nigeria that year.

Having said this I do not think he is the right man for the Nigerian FA job yet, he did not play in the Nigerian league for one day and also did not live in Nigeria at all to understand the real politics of the Nigerian FA job.

He is an achiever in his playing days but he needs to learn more about the Nigerian culture to be successful in Nigeria.
Bayo Oloyede, England

Once again the Nigerian FA has got it all wrong. Fashanu is an educated well-bred person who speaks with conviction. Hardly can we see anyone from Nigeria with that sort of quality this days.

But they have decided to employ some illiterate. Our problems will only keep mounting untill we can realise that people at the top in Africa need to be literate and well read. Not people that cannot count from one to a hundred in English.
Stephen Alale, England

2. It will allow him to get a better grasp on Nigerian Football first hand and he can still contribute to football development while not having to make the heavyweight political decisions that Nigerian football demands. And then he can decide if he really wants to stay!

3.He can now prove his doubters wrong! As for Galadima, we shall soon know who he is and what he can do, after all our national team currently has no real coach, the team is trying to reinvet itself, and the Nations Cup 2004 is more or less at our doorsteps!

We are hosting the women's Nations Cup in a few days, All African games are slated for 2003. I really do not envy him at all! I think Fashanu should really thank his stars!
Aji, USA

Thank goodness he didn't get the post as that will have killed off the NFA and Nigerian football. John should leave the Nigerian football scene as he is not fit to do any decent job for the country.

You didn't stand up to be counted when it mattered and I don't thnk you will do now.
Jason Ejimadu, England

Fashanu, in comparison to all the other names on the list, is definitely better suited for the job. But I don't know why I keep seeing him as a shrewd businessman out to feather his own nest.

Nigeria first expects a candidate to display traits of selflessness and patriotism in order to qualify for such position as FA Chairman. The seeming lack of such traits in Fashanu, to me, are contributory factors to his failure in securing the job of NFA chairman.

His heart is in Nigeria, but his head is still in Britain and in the business world. None of these assumptions takes away the fact that Fashanu is best suited for the post.
Lemmuel Matt Obadje, UK

Nigeria needs someone that knows about the game of football both locally and internationally and I think John Fashanu highly qualifies for this. But whatever the case, a new Nigerian FA chairman has emerged.

So football must continue just for the well-being of the Nigerian football.
Vincent, Nigeria

Fashanu would have done little or nothing to move the country's football foward because the enabling environment for radical changes will never be created.

Galadima is more grounded in the local football politics and as such is expected to steer the NFA to a brighter side. This is also a big lesson to Fash who realised too late the need to be patriotic.
Fidelis Mbah, Abuja, Nigeria

I find some of the comments below about Fash's trusthworthiness and ability to run a football association most amusing given his recent track record of allegedly fixing football matches and being involved in an extremely dodgy takeover of Northampton Town FC.
Martin Drake, Wimbledon, England

I do agree Fashanu has disappointed us in the past and he shouldn't be forgiven for that, but if we look in the long run, we need someone like Fashanu who has connections with other football governing bodies and who is not willing to misuse and mismanage the money. I think he will be the ideal person.
Akorede Alabi, USA

I'm afraid I do not agree with the candidacy of John Fashanu. This is a man who shunned Nigeria's invitation to play becasue he wanted to play for England. England never gave him a look-in and now he wants the job at the NFA No way!

I knew there was something up his sleeve when he was suddenly dubbed Nigeria's "ambassador" for sport. The sooner we turn a blind eye to people like this the better. He isn't even as popular in England as he is in Nigeria. Who has even heard of Shelter FC of Ogun State?
Mayowa, Nigeria

Here is a man trying to reap where he does not sow. What did he do to Nigeria's football? He neglected the country when he was needed. Pray that the electorate considers this before casting their vote.
Hakeem Kareem, USA

Fashanu couldn't have been who he is today if he had opted to play for Nigeria in his youthful days. There are tons of challenges in our football management and he stands tall among the contestants.

The job will not make him richer or more popular, but will test his resolve to serve. Let Fashanu fashion our NFA.
Solomon, Canada

He neglected us during the stormy weather, what is going to make us believe that he won't do the the same again?
Valentine Mmereole, Nigeria

Fashanu lacks the know-how and credibillity to run the FA of Nigeria. This is a man who refused to play for Nigeria, and suddenly remembered his African roots in a bid to gain a place in Nigeria's World Cup team of 1994.

If I remember properly, wasn't he in court recently facing charges of match fixing? I pray he is not succesful.
Sadiq Bayero, France

While Fashanu may have spurned the opportunity of representing Nigeria in the past, I believe the more important issue presently is the ability to revive a comatose organisation.

On that premise I believe Fashanu is in the best position to deliver, having played in one of the best organised and privately fundedleagues in the world.

The abundant potential in this country of over 120 million people cannot be over-emphasised. Fashanu, in my opinion, is the only person in the present board who may not have been touched by the Nigerian factor of deliberate maladministration.
Chuma Eze, Nigeria

Let's not judge him on the past. I believe Fashanu can bring tremendous changes in the Nigerian FA, but only if Nigerians can accept that we all need to grow up. We have a crop of dirty dozens without developemental ideas ruling our football, and what do we get? A downward growth of course.
Tony Dyke, Czech Republic

John Fashanu deserted Nigeria as a player so why now when he's no longer got anything to do with football does he want to go back to Nigeria? I say go back to Gladiators John!
Steven Towler, England

When Nigeria needed Fashanu to play he neglected us and opted to play for England. What makes him think he can be the head of a country he neglected?
Patrick Ogbe, Ireland

Did he suddenly discover that he is African? I think he is looking for a spot under the sun and I hope he doesn't have any success.
Aziz Samy, Egypt

Fashanu is youthful and will be able to bring a modern touch to football governance. He will be able to bring in fresh ideas that will get us the needed success in the World Cup.
Kehinde, Chicago, USA

In his years as a talented footballer, Fashanu opted to play for England. I think he should campaign for the English FA job. If Nigeria did without him in his playing days, Nigeria can certainly do without him in his "do-nothing" years.
Osman Abi-Saddique, USA