By Daily Sports on August 20, 2018

With the Monday noon deadline given to Nigeria by football world governing body, FIFA, to correct the anomaly in the administration of football in the country about to expire in few hours from now, there appears to be hope that the country may escape the hammer.

It was learnt at the weekend that the Presidency in Abuja has made contact with FIFA on the deadline, assuring the men in the Football House in Zurich, Switzerland that there was no need for the ban as only the Amaju Melvin Pinnick led board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was in charge of football matters in the country.

As a member nation of FIFA, the Presidency is believed to have also given FIFA the assurance that football will continue to be run in the country in accordance with internationally acceptable (FIFA) statute.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was reported to have contacted FIFA and gave the assurance that there was no other party recognized by the Federal Government of Nigeria beyond Pinnick as the duly elected President of the NFF.

It was further learnt that the world football governing body was also told that the nation’s security chiefs have been briefed on the development and that there can be no any form of invasion of the football secretariat by Chris Giwa and his colleagues claiming to have a court ruling in their favour.

In the wake of the fresh invasion of the Glass House in Abuja by Giwa and his factional members, FIFA had given today as the deadline for Nigeria to recognise Pinnick and his executive committee as the authentic body to administer football in the country following their election four years ago in Warri, Delta State or face suspension from football.

The inability of the Federal High Court in Jos to vacate the ex-parte order given banned Giwa last Friday heightened fears in the country that the ban of Nigeria on Monday was imminent.

Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, who has never hidden his support for his kinsman Giwa, discountenanced the threat from FIFA, insisting that the Plateau State football proprietor has a court judgment in his favour.

But the top government official who spoke on the matter yesterday asked Nigerians to thank President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice President Osinbajo for acting promptly to avert the ban that would have thrown Nigeria’s participation in the AFCON 2019 in jeopardy. (This Day)

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 20, 2018

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