NFF Crisis: Chris Giwa Insist On Resuming Office With His Board On Monday

Chris Giwa, who was declared as the head of Nigeria’s Football Federation following a High Court ruling in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Friday, says his board will officially start work on Monday.

The Amaju Pinnick-led NFF board has appealed the ruling, which sacked Pinnick in favour of Giwa, the man who had challenged him in September 2014.
In a move likely to incur the wrath of Fifa, the Jos High Court voided the elections, with Giwa telling local media in Abuja that all NFF matters will now come through him.
Football’s world governing body ratified the election of Amaju Pinnick in September 2014 but did not recognise the election of Chris Giwa on 26 August 2014.
A defiant Giwa took his case to court and the elections, which brought in Pinnick, was voided, prompting Fifa to threaten a ban.
Then Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan held talks with the two main protagonists in the NFF saga, the Fifa-recognised Pinnick and the man who claims he should have the role, Giwa.
Jonathan then ordered Giwa’s associates to withdraw their case, which had led to the ousting of Pinnick, and the country averted a Fifa ban.
But in January 2016, after a meeting called by current Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung. aimed at reconciling the NFF descended into recriminations, Giwa re-filed his lawsuit.
On Friday, Justice Musa Haruna Kurya ruled: “By the orders of the court today, the Minister of Sports is compelled to recognize the Mr. Giwa-led Board of the NFF as the recognized board by law. The order also bars anybody from interfering with the duties and functions of the NFF board under the leadership of Chris Giwa.”
But the NFF swiftly filed a motion to vacate the order and a motion for a stay-of-execution against the judgment that has thrown the country’s game into fresh turmoil.
However, the Giwa faction under the supervision of former NFF executives, Effiong Johnson and Rumson Baribote, armed with the court ruling, took control of the NFF offices on Friday.