The NPFL cannot restart soon because the Coronavirus Pandemic has yet to peak as cases and death figures continue to rise, according to chairman of Adamawa United.
The league was suspended on March 18 following the outbreak of Coronavirus in Nigeria.
The organisers of the league have since said they plan to finish the competition within 10 weeks once they get government’s approval to do so.
However, Adamawa United chairman, Emma Zira, has dismissed calls for a quick return because the pandemic has yet to peak in Nigeria.
“Nigeria league to return under this pandemic? That will be shocking, it will be absurd,” he said in an interview monitored by SCORENigeria
“Whoever is preparing for the league to return now does not love football.
“Do we have the facilities to restart the league especially when the pandemic is growing by the day and our health facilities are being stretched every day?
“And we haven’t even reached the peak (of the outbreak).”
He continued: “As chairman of Adamawa United, my preoccupation now is the health and safety of my players and officials, it’s not football. I’m not even thinking of football now.
“Only the living can play football, they dead cannot.
“Rather we should support the government to defeat this pandemic and not aid the spread of the disease.”
Adamawa United are bottom of the NPFL table and look doomed for a prompt return to the lower league with 13 rounds of matches still to be played.
However, Zira maintained his position was not defined by the precarious position of his club.
“Forget the position of Adamawa on the table. Were we top of the table, I will still be the last person to agitate for the league to return,” he said.
“We cannot afford to risk the lives of our talented players.”
Plateau United topped the NPFL standings with 46 points from 25 matches before the league was suspended in March.
The Coronavirus Pandemic has so far caused 211 recorded deaths and over 7,000 cases in Nigeria.
