Just in: End of era for Pinnick as Giwa becomes NFF boss on Supreme Court’s order
In line with a written notification by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice requesting the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports to ensure compliance to Supreme Court ruling resilient Chris Giwa on Monday afternoon, assumed duty as president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung had earlier in the day, ordered the NFF to comply with a Supreme Court judgment that overturned the election of NFF president Amaju Pinnick.
Addressing journalists at the glass house in Abuja immediately on assumption, Giwa said his assumption of office was in line with the ruling of the court on June 5, 2018.
Business Hilights recalls that the highest court in the land had annulled the parallel election held in Warri by Pinnick and that it upheld him as the chairman.
Elated Giwa averred that “I am here to claim my mandate as the substantive chairman elected on August 26, 2014,” stressing that “We waited for the other board to finish the preparations for world cup so that we can assume office.”
However, the football investor pledged to embark on reconciliation of all aggrieved members for the success of the federation, but was silent on the future of Gernot Rhor and the current Super Eagles squad which recently crashed out of ongoing Russia 2018 World Cup.
“We are grateful to God for making it possible for us to reclaim our mandate and we shall give Nigerians good results,” he said.
Trouble had started between Amaju Pinnick and Chirs Giwa on September 19, 2014, when they filed their suit before the Federal High Court in Jos, praying for among others, that they along with others allegedly elected on August 26, 2014, be declared to be the legitimate executive board members of the NFF.
On September 19, 2014, the Federal High Court granted an ex parte order restraining the NFF from conducting its General Assembly.
But the federation went ahead to conduct the General Assembly in Warri, Delta State, which led to Pinnick’s emergence as NFF president on September 20, 2014.
Three days later, the Federal High Court nullified the General Assembly and the elections for being held in defiance of a pending suit and the court’s restraining orders.
Business Hilights World Cup Desk recalls that barely 24 hours after the Super Eagles ended their campaign in the ongoing 2018 World Cup in Russia, a ‘mafia’ group in the football circle has begun secret campaign for the end the reign of former NFF president, Pinnick.
It was gathered that even before the NFF embarked on the trip to Russia, some board members as well as staff of the secretariat had fallen apart with Pinnick because of what they termed ‘arrogance’ and self-centred natured.“They were only waiting for the Eagles to exit from the World Cup before coming out with their true colour,” a top official of the NFF told The Guardian yesterday in St. Petersburg, venue of the Super Eagles last group encounter against Argentina.
“Amaju is a bad leader. He wants to do everything all alone, and it has created a great disunity among every staff of the NFF. We have been suffering in silence, and it has to end. Amaju must go,” he stated.
Among his many sins, the people accused Pinnick of bringing to Russia alongside the NFF delegation people who had no business at the World Cup.
According to him, Nigeria’s sovereignty could not be threatened by any foreign interest, saying NFF operated in tandem with the country’s constitution.
