Nigerian league club owners deny adopting points per game model

Club Owners have denied ending the 25-week old Nigeria Professional Foot­ball League by adopting the points per game model to determine the league win­ner and continental repre­sentatives.

The Secretariat of the Club Owners while reacting to a statement by the Media Officer of Lobi Stars FC, Mr. Austin Tyowua, who claimed to be writing on behalf of the club’s management, denied that the association has voted to end the season.

According to the Alloy Chukwuemeka, the Executive Secretary of the Club Owners, there is no iota of truth in the release by Tyowua as regards the decision reached by the as­sociation.

“Firstly, the whole issues of the best amongst four options on how to end the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season has not been officially announced by the League Management Company (LMC).

“Secondly the online vot­ing process conducted by the NPFL Club Owners Associa­tion of Nigeria on the options was an internal exercise of the body, which we under­stand was leaked by Lobi Stars FC boss to the Media, to discredit the association and the process.

“We are still marveled at how Tyowua was able to access our internal mem­os. The necessary sanction awaits him in line with the disciplinary rules of the as­sociation.

“His accusation of the LMC and the Club Owners Association of promoting illegality by proposing the Point-Per-Game (PPG) system in determining the standings on the league table – such er­roneous accusations will be treated accordingly in line with the relevant rules.

“PPG has been a universal acceptable standard process to determine game and to ensure sporting fairness. It has been tested overtime and applied by some countries in­cluding France, to end their season in similar circum­stances like ours.

“Those who challenged the PPG at the court in France were ruled against, thus con­firming the genuineness and authenticity of the process in taking such decisions,” said Chukwuemeka.

“On the issue of online vot­ing, Lobi Stars FC fully partic­ipated through Mr. Mike Idoko and voted in Option C which was tagged ‘Abstain’ (elec­tronic evidence of his voting is available for sighting).

“They also erroneously al­leged that only Option A was displayed for voting, how then did Rangers voted for Option B which is Super six play off? Chukwuemeka queried.