NFF crisis: FG wades in to avoid FIFA ban

The Federal Government in its bid to avoid FIFA ban on Nigeria may have urged the factional president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chris Giwa to withdraw the case instituted by his camp which resulted in the ex parte order the Supreme Court in Jos granted him to assume leadership of the nation’s football ruling body.

It will be recalled that as a result of the leadership crisis in Nigerian football,  FIFA through its president, Gianni Infantino while speaking with journalists at the just-ended World Cup in Russia, warned that Nigeria faced a ban should the recognised NFF body headed by Mr Amaju Pinnick was not restored.

Tribunesport reliably gathered that the Federal Government at a meeting with both factions ordered the Giwa faction to therefore withdraw the case to pave the way for the judgment to be vacated.

The Federal Government reportedly made case for both factions to participate in the forthcoming NFF election scheduled to hold in September in the interest of fair play.

However, Sports Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung has refuted claims circulating on various social media platforms in Nigeria that the crisis rocking Nigerian football administration has been amicably settled.

There have been series of information stating that the presidency ‘has ordered the Chief Justice of the Federation to vacate all court cases (relating to the NFF)’.

In a WhatsApp message sent to www.sportsvillagesquare.com, Dalung responds thus: “Following recent post on different social media platforms that the presidency has ordered the Chief Justice of the Federation to vacate all courts cases.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has travelled since Sunday and as at the time of filling this report he has not returned.

“Also, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami is not in the country while the Minister of Youth and Sports is in Algiers for the African Youth Games.

“In this light, the general public should not believe in all the unfounded stories which are expected to fly around particularly in a time like this.

“Those spreading the rumour are the real enemies of Nigerian football, they are doing it for their selfish gains and they are bent on doing everything possible to satisfy their pay masters.

“There is no meeting whatsoever in Nigeria that ended up reaching the agreement on sales of forms, peace treaty and order from the presidency that the chief Justice of Federation should vacate all courts cases.

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“All the evil hands behind all the propagandas should stop misleading the public as no meeting can overturn the court orders.

“Above all, government getting involved by asking the chief justice of Federation or the attorney general of the Federation to vacate the court orders by fiat, does it not amount to government interference?

“Is it when it suits their sentiments that government can interfere!!!”

Before the response from the minister, the rumour in circulation in Nigeria has it that a meeting of the warring factions of the NFF was called and all agreed to allow the pre World Cup situation to prevail while all previously banned had been un banned and that sale of forms for the next election must be made available to all.