Nigeria Avoids FIFA Sanction, Recognises Pinnick As NFF President

Nigeria has avoided sanctions from FIFA  over the leadership crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation after the Federal Government recognised Amaju Pinnick as president of the NFF.

The country thus beat Monday’s deadline  to hand the  NFF   offices  “back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under  Amaju  Pinnick, who was duly elected on September 30,  2014” or  “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”.

In the world football ruling body’s August 14 statement, FIFA stated that “the suspension would be lifted only once the NFF, under President Amaju Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, confirms that it has been given back effective control of the NFF and its offices”.

The  power struggle between  the winner of  the August 26, 2014   NFF presidential election in Abuja Chris  Giwa and Pinnick — who emerged from a separate poll in Warri on September 30, 2014 — and the resultant legal battles  tossed Nigeria into the spotlight all for the wrong reason.

FIFA first warned they would hammer the country   last month after the Giwa group, acting  on the April 27 Supreme Court judgment,  displaced the Pinnick board and took over the NFF secretariat in Abuja on July 2.

In dramatic fashion,  officials of the Department of  State Security   stormed the NFF secretariat after FIFA stated that they only recognised Pinnick  as the leader of Nigerian football to  displace the Giwa board in favour of their rivals.

With the Giwa board gaining the upper hand again, FIFA last week  read Nigeria the riot act, threatening to  suspend the country from world football indefinitely if the Pinnick board was not restored.

After a series of meetings with the  warring groups, the Federal Government resolved the impasse and saved the country from being punished  by FIFA by recognising Pinnick as the authentic leader of  the NFF.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande,  on his Twitter handle @akandeoj said the Federal Government had already conveyed its position to FIFA.

Akande wrote, “The FG has already conveyed to FIFA its firm position recognising Amaju Pinnick’s  NFF as the current and only NFF executive.

“Government will also continue to work with all relevant stakeholders involved to resolve dispute in a timely manner.

“The Federal Government is upholding NFF treaty obligations to FIFA.”

FIFA  in a statement confirmed that they had  “received confirmations that the legitimate leadership of the NFF under President Amaju  Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi has been given back effective control of the NFF and its offices.”

The statement added, “ In view of these circumstances, FIFA deems that the conditions set by the decision of the Bureau of the FIFA Council have now been met and consequently the suspension of the NFF will not take effect.

“FIFA will continue to closely monitor the situation in order to ensure that FIFA’s rules and regulations are fully adhered to.”

Meanwhile, former Super Eagles midfielder Mutiu Adepoju expressed his  delight at the decision, saying it  had helped the country avert a potential FIFA ban.

He also expressed optimism that the decision would help chart a new path for Nigerian football after being in the doldrums in the last few weeks.

“It means the crisis is over and we can now continue with our normal football activities,”  Adepoju, who represented Nigeria at the 1994 and  1998  World Cups,   said.

“Our football has been  at a  standstill for the past one month; everybody has  been under pressure with doubts over the future of our football. But I believe this decision is a right one for our football to move forward.”