Following leadership crisis overshadowing the West African Football Union (WAFU) cohesion, Mr. Jacques Anouma, President of WAFU, in a letter sent to the President of CAF (Confederation of African Football) has stated that the initiators of the Accra meeting of April 14th, 2007, violated the provisions of the statutes of the organisation.

He said “in deciding to call, at their own risk a “General Assembly” of WAFU, is a violation of the rules of calling for Assemblies, and violation of the rules of nominations of WAFU Executive committee members”.

“As a matter of fact, articles 4.1.3 of the statutes indicates the periodicity of the general Ordinary Assembly as being ‘Once in every two years, preferably on the occasion of the final stages of one of the competitions organised by WAFU,” he explained.

He said article 4.1.4 of WAFU statutes which talks about the General Extraordinary Assemblies also states that “If the executive committee judges it necessary, it would hold a General Assembly called Extraordinary during which only the points on the agenda are discussed”

“Article 4.1.8 disposes that the national football associations wishing to register an issue on the agenda of the General Assembly should inform by writing, informing the General Secretary at least a month before the dates of the General Assembly”, he added.

Jacques Anouma said these rules which came into force before the mandate of the Chairman and that of the current Executive Committee and renewed in the modified statutes in January 2007, means that;

“It is evident that a football association or a group of national football associations’ ability to call for a General Assembly or, a fortiori, in fixing, officially, the venue or the agenda, such as has been the meeting of Accra”, he narrated.

He said: “The nominations made at the meeting was equally irregular on the fact of violating the conditions of procedure and of the delay prescribed by the disposals from articles 4.2.4 to 4.2.7 to WAFU statutes”.

WAFU prexy said article 4.2.4 disposes the names of the candidates of WAFU Executive Committee should be submitted by their national football associations at least ninety days before the date for the meeting of the General Assembly with the elections on its agenda and all out going members are re-elected.

“It follows that with regard to these rules that meeting could not be qualified valuably as a WAFU General Extraordinary Assembly, from that fact, it is irregular and that adopted resolutions are nil and null void,” he noted.

He said it has been confirmed that the meeting qualified, violating, General Extraordinary and elective Assembly has been presided over by Mr. Seyi Memene, CAF first Vice President, and WAFU honorary Chairman, and “Who with this doubled caps cannot ignore that his act will, necessarily, be interpreted as, either a personal decision, or as a bail from the continental institution as the vice-presidency”.

According to Mr. Anouma, Mr Amadou Diakite, member of CAF and FIFA Executive Committees, Mr. Kabele Camara, member of CAF Executive Committee and Mr. Amos Adamu, member of CAF and FIFA Executive Committee, attended the meeting in which one among them has been appointed for the post of Chairman of the pseudo WAFU Executive Committee, puts in doubt the role played by the continental governing body of African Football in flagrant violation of the statutes of WAFU.

“This is why, as Chairman of West African Union, as member of CAF, we are seizing the opportunity to inform you officially through this mail in order that our continental organisation gives a ruling and pronounces on these facts whose extreme gravity does not do any honour neither to African football nor its officials,” he said.

He added that “we have no doubt about the interest that you will bear to this mail because of your attachment for the good management of the national and regional structures of football and above all that of the ethical behaviour of the officials of this sport”.

WAFU Chairman admitted receiving a request of calling a General Extraordinary and Elective Assembly, under the signature of a group of officials of national football associations, meeting on 27th February, in Lagos, presided over by Mr. Sani Lulu, Chairman of Nigeria Football Association.