Former Super Eagles defender Ifeanyi Udeze has rejected Obafemi Martins’ backing of Seyi Tinubu for the Nigeria Football Federation presidency, describing the former Inter Milan star’s choice as a bad idea, Footynaija.com reports.
Martins recently threw his support behind Tinubu as a potential successor to Ibrahim Gusau, arguing that younger leadership could better understand what Nigerians want from their football administrators.
The former Newcastle United forward said Tinubu is young and understands the expectations of Nigerians, while also noting that he is already making an effort despite not being the NFF president.
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Udeze, however, does not share Martins’ view and questioned the reasoning behind his endorsement.
“For me it’s a bad idea,” Udeze said, in quotes revealed by Complete Sports.
“I don’t know what made Martins make such a statement, maybe because he’s a friend to Seyi Tinubu, but like I said, I don’t buy the idea.”
The former Super Eagles left-back believes the argument for younger leadership should not automatically point towards Tinubu, insisting that there are other former Nigerian footballers who could offer the same quality.
Udeze specifically mentioned former Super Eagles midfielder Seyi Olofinjana as someone he expected Martins to consider.
“If Martins claims we need young people to come and run our football, there are other young people,” he added.
“I was thinking he would mention a young person like Seyi Olofinjana. I was surprised by his choice, so for me Obafemi Martins is on his own.”
The disagreement comes at a turbulent time for Nigerian football, with Gusau resigning as NFF president alongside General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and the federation’s Executive Committee members last week.
The leadership shake-up has also disrupted the NFF’s planned September 27 elections as authorities push for reforms following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Martins’ endorsement of Tinubu has therefore added another dimension to an increasingly lively debate over who should lead Nigerian football, with Udeze now making it clear that he does not believe Tinubu is the right choice.
