Ivorian Federation: the soap opera of the presidential race continues for Drogba

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

3 min

The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has decided to suspend the process of appointing its next president until an extraordinary general assembly is held, scheduled for August 29. René Diby, who heads the electoral commission, came out of his silence and the Drogba camp also reacts.

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On August 10, Didier Drogba thought he had won his case in his fight to win the presidency of the Ivorian Football Federation. His candidacy file had just been validated by the FIF electoral commission. But the soap opera had yet another twist last week. On Wednesday August 12, the Federation announced the suspension of the electoral process by accusing the electoral commission, headed by the former Minister of Sports, René Diby, of having committed irregularities.

René Diby does not reproach the Drogba file

The Emergency Committee of the IFF has decreed "  the suspension of the electoral process  " and the "  convening a General Meeting [...] extraordinary [...] the Saturday 29 August 2020 Abidjan  ," stated a communiqué issued on August 11 . In its press release, the IFF criticized the management of René Diby head-on: "  The president of the Electoral Commission indicated " to have acted in all naivety, to preserve social cohesion, in this sensitive period ". He added that he had found an ad hoc solution with "eminent jurists, members of the Commission". "

René Diby came out of the silence for the channel La 3 . He confirmed that the body had validated Didier Drogba's application file, but that it was the secretary general of the said commission, Jean Baptiste Sam Etiassé, who had blocked everything and refused to notify the decisions of the commission to the candidates. concerned.

“  The blockage comes from the secretary. He does not have the right to judge the commission. Even though he is a non-rank prefect, he is not allowed. This is not his job. […] If CAF or FIFA come, they will see that the blockage comes from the secretary general who has exceeded his prerogatives and who is below the chairman of the committee. This is inappropriate. That it means the results to the candidates,  ”explains René Diby. “  We, the commission, have validated it. So we have nothing to reproach with the file since we validated it. We are serene. We have finished our work,  ”he says of Didier Drogba's case.

Seize Fifa for Camp Drogba

Obviously, the Drogba camp does not intend to participate in the assembly called on August 29. This is what Eugène Diomandé, coordinator of Didier Drogba's campaign suggested. "  We declare that this EGM convened for August 29 is a null, void and deemed non-existent AGM,  " says the president of Séwé de San Pedro to Super Sport . "  We also have the right to seize Fifa against the actions that we have denounced,  " said Eugène Diomandé in a video posted on Facebook. "  Contrary to what it wants to believe, the Executive Committee is no longer authorized to make use of article 36 of the statutes of the FIF and convene an extraordinary AGM  ", also considers Eugène Diomandé. The serial election for the presidency of the IFF is far from over.

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