July 13 – Nigeria is heading ever closer to a FIFA ban unless it resolves the bitter internal rift over the role of Amaju Pinnick according to counsel to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Festus Keyamo.
In what appeared to be an orchestrated coup, the Nigerian government earlier this month sacked Pinnick and replaced him with Giwa following a court ruling which effectively overthrew the Pinnick-led regime.
The four-year-old case was expected to have been resolved at the Federal High Court hearing on Tuesday but was adjourned to September 25.
Pinnick has been the NFF president since 2014 but a Supreme Court ruling two weeks ago gave Giwa the mandate, and he has since assumed office.
Keyamo told local media that an imminent FIFA ban loomed for Nigerian football if the row was not resolved soon.
“The grave implication of the adjournment and failure to resolve this case is that Giwa will continue to claim leadership of the NFF in defiance of his lack of recognition by FIFA and the global body could ban the country,” he said.
“The only NFF recognised by FIFA is the one headed by Pinnick, who is also the Vice-president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). I have pointed out to the court that the FIFA hammer is imminent.”
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