Giwa dismisses NFF congress

The show of power between the Chris Giwa-led faction of the Nigeria Football Federation and those loyal to Aminu Maigari continued Wednesday with the former dismissing the congress of Nigeria football called by the latter.

The Aminu Maigari-led electoral committee of the NFF plans to conduct election into several positions in the federation on Thursday September 4 but Giwa says he is unaware of such election.

“It has come to the notice of the Nigeria Football Federation that some persons are spreading information to the effect that there is a congress of NFF taking place on Thursday, September 4, 2014. This is absolutely untrue,” Giwa said.

“If there would be any NFF Congress of any nature, the notice for such would come from the NFF secretariat. I am aware the NFF secretariat has not issued such notice.”

Giwa also dismissed part of the report which said that officials from FIFA and CAF would be in Nigeria to witness the elective congress.

“There are no persons coming from FIFA or CAF, and there is no elective congress because the elections have already been conducted.

“This is to advise all the chairmen and secretaries of the state football associations and those of NFF’s affiliate bodies to disregard the notice. We also urge the general public not to go anywhere near the venue of the gathering.”

Meanwhile, Giwa told Nigeria’s house of representatives committee on sports that his election remains valid.

“The congress of 2013 chose August 26 as the date for the elective congress and the same congress didn’t change the date,” he told the committee.

“They [Maigari’s faction] walked out of the venue chosen for the elections and held a meeting elsewhere, which they called a congress. But that cannot happen because the congress did not change the venue.”

He also accused the other faction of trying to extend the board’s tenure contrary to the position of the congress.

“They tried to extend Maigari’s tenure till December without regard to the resolution of the congress of 2013,” he told the House.

“But we held elections as prescribed by the congress of 2013 and even if they wanted to postpone it, they would have raised that agenda during the congress but instead they walked out.”