The Nigerian Football Supporters' Club has taken decisive action by expelling Olarotimi Najim Akinloye, the Vice President of the club's Ivory Coast chapter, as reported by Soccernet.ng.
Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, the founder and President-General of the association, elucidated the grounds for Akinloye's expulsion.
Popularly known as ‘Laaro,' Akinloye allegedly exploited the absence of the sick President of the Ivory Coast chapter, Sunday Oki, by unilaterally declaring himself as the association's president. Ladipo expressed concerns about the potential harm this misrepresentation could cause to the organisation.
Upon receiving information about Akinloye's actions, Ladipo sought clarification from Oki and discovered a series of correspondences between their group and the embassy.
“When I got that news, I asked him [Oki] to furnish me the records of his dealings with the embassy. And he brought a heap of letters between their group and the embassy. Giving them letters, sending them correspondence, and writing back to them.” he said.
The revealed discrepancies led to the conclusion that Akinloye had taken advantage of Oki's illness and misrepresented the association's status during dealings with the embassy.
Ladipo emphasized that Akinloye not only lied to the embassy but also used the name of the Nigerian Football Supporters' Club improperly.
Akinloye allegedly presented letters from the embassy to suggest affiliation with another group, engaging in what Ladipo termed “anti-club activities.”
He said: “So when I came here few days ago, I called the chairman, I told him [that] there was need for me to go to the embassy. I went to the embassy, and we spoke with them in the embassy. We confirmed the story, and we knew that was not right.
“If you took advantage of his illness as his vice, now change the truth. There is nothing [else] we need other than to disown you. Not only did you go to the embassy to lie, you are using our name, Nigeria's Football Supporters' Club, with copies of letters that they gave you to say you don't belong to this group, you belong to another group. I am not going to mention names. But, to us, that is what we call anti-club activities.”
In light of these actions, the Nigerian Football Supporters' Club has decided to expel Akinloye from the organization. Dr. Rafiu Ladipo officially announced Akinloye's expulsion, declaring him no longer a part of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club. The decision was made in the best interest of the organization's progress.
“We've decided, we've had a meeting, to say ‘you are no longer with us', and today we want to announce his expulsion from the Nigerian football supporters club. Olarotimi Najim Akinloye, Aka Laaro. He is hereby pronounced and dismissed from the Nigerian Football Supporters Club.” he added.
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It is worth noting that multiple factions exist within football supporters' clubs today, with the Nigerian Football Supporters' Club considered the oldest among them.
