Sports
PRESIDENT of the factional Nigeria Football Federation Chris Giwa says he will not surrender his mandate after his board was ejected from the NFF secretariat in Abuja by the Department of State Services operatives on Monday.
Giwa, who won August 26, 2014 NFF presidential poll, took charge of the secretariat after sports minister Solomon Dalung directed the NFF to comply with the apex court judgment on April 27 restoring the orders of the Federal High Court setting aside another NFF election on September 30, 2014, which brought in Amaju Pinnick as the president of the federation.
The Pinnick board was consequently sent packing.
Giwa told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja that no amount of intimidation would make him give up his mandate to be the NFF president.
The NFF Congress had disregarded the order of a Jos High Court to stay action on the Warri election until the determination of the suit brought before it by Giwa.
Three weeks ago, a group led by Giwa stormed the secretariat and took control on the strength of a court ruling, but on Monday, his board was ejected from the place with Pinnick board returning to power.
Giwa told NAN, “By the grace of God, we employed patience to go through the judicial system of the land as guaranteed by Article 1.1 of the NFF Statute to reach where we are.
“Except if the law and the judiciary is no more significant, can what happened on Monday be allowed. Evil will not thrive over good.
“I urge our friends, allies and supporters to remain calm. Truth shall return to the centre stage in a couple of hours.
“What you have seen is like the different scenes in a Nollywood film. All I know is that the rule of law will not lie low against the rule of might and influence peddling.’’
In a statement on Monday night, the Giwa board said they are still in charge of the NFF since sports minister Solomon Dalung stated that “nothing has changed after the Supreme Court ruling and Orders of the Federal High Court in Jos on the NFF on April 27, 2018”.
– Jul. 25, 2018 @ 10:45 GMT |
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Tags: Giwa vows to fight on
