FIFA Threat: Osinbajo Meets With Dalung, Pinnick

Share

The acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday met behind closed doors with the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was held inside Osinbajo’s office shortly after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

The President of the Nigeria  Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, had earlier met with Osinbajo before the commencement of the FEC meeting.

Our correspondent learnt that meetings  followed  Tuesday’s threat by  the world football governing body, Federation of International Football Association,   to suspend the country from world football  on Monday over the alleged government  interference in  the  leadership crisis at the Nigerian Football Federation.

FIFA also  threatened to  suspend  Ghana over  the dissolution of the  Ghana Football Association   by the  government over  the  corruption scandal involving the  suspended GFA president Kwesi Nyantaki.

Pinnick, who won the September 30, 2014  NFF presidential election in Warri, has been locked in a battle with Chris Giwa, who won the August 26, 2014 poll in Abuja, over the control of Nigerian football.

In a statement on their website, FIFA  warned that Nigeria would be suspended   if “the Nigeria Football Federation  offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under  Amaju  Pinnick, who was duly elected on September 30,  2014.”

The statement added, “The NFF will be suspended with immediate effect for contravening art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19, as well as art. 14 par. 1 a) of the FIFA Statutes. The suspension would be lifted only once the NFF, under  Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, confirms that it has been given back effective control of the NFF and its offices.”

Sources said the Federal Government is not happy with the development and has moved to resolve the crisis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Punch