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Calls For Issa Hayatou, CAF President, To Follow Sepp Blatter Resignation

Imam Imam, the Spokesperson to the Sokoto State Governor, tweeted “Issa Hayatou and Blatter are one of a kind. Dictatorial, sniff of corruption around them and Life Presidents. We can do better without both.”

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Following the resignation of FIFA President Sepp Blatter many are calling for the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, to follow with his own resignation.

Since Blatter’s resignation, Hayatou has become the second trending topic on Twitter in Nigeria.

One user, by the name of Ryan Cooper, wrote “Can we now hope and assume that Issa Hayatou will do the honorable thing as well so African football can move forward?”

Another user, Imam Imam, the Spokesperson to the Sokoto State Governor, tweeted “Issa Hayatou and Blatter are one of a kind. Dictatorial, sniff of corruption around them and Life Presidents. We can do better without both.”

Outcry against Hayatou has been centered around his overstay as CAF president and allegations of corruption.

Hayatou has been president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since 1988. recently in April, he led the organizations members on an opportunistic vote to remove an age limit on Confederation of African Football officials. The removal of the age limit will allow Hayatou, now 68, to seek four more years in 2017 when his current mandate will expire.

In addition, his administration has been rocked with several allegations of corruption, another similarity he shares with former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

In November 2010, he was alleged to have taken bribes in the 1990s regarding the awarding of contracts for the sale of the football World Cup television rights. This prompted an investigation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In May 2011, he was alleged by a British Newspaper, The Sunday Times, as receiving $1.5 million in bribes from Qatar along with fellow Executive Committee member Jacques Anouma.

The allegations against him led FIFA to backtrack on statements that he had been appointed to head the Olympic football tournament in London.

Hayatou has denied all allegations against him.