President, Amaju Pinnick, factional leader Chris Giwa come to blows at peace meeting

The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick and self acclaimed NFF boss Chris Giwa on Wednesday, January 20 almost came to blows at the National Stadium Package B where a peace meeting as called by Minister for Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung.

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The meeting was called to settle the leadership crises going on in the Glass House. 

Giwa has always claimed that the September, 2014 election which put Pinnick in office was faulty but his case has been ruled out by FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sports.

This case was reopened by Dalung who is a longtime friend of Giwa.

Embedded in this story are the Tweets of Nneka Ikem who is the media assistant of the Sports minister, Dalung.

 

Pinnick and Giwa nearly came to blows when the NFF president called his challenger 'a bastard'.

 

 

The sports minister quickly stepped in to calm the situtaion.

 

Dalung asked the NFF boss to withdraw his statement as he was not supposed to use foul languages as a leader.

 

Amaju Pinnick then apologised to Giwa saying:  “I am very sorry Mr Giwa. I don’t know what got over me. I am ashamed of my actions. Please forgive me.”

 

The meeting however ended in deadlock and the Minister told reporters that the meeting will reconvene next week Wednesday.

He asked both parties to maintain the peace and that he will try to resolve the problem in the interest of football and the country.

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According to him, the meeting has given him the opportunity to hear from both parties.

“I have the will power and the political power to resolve the issue and I am optimistic that this issue will be resolved," Dalung is quoted to say by Vanguard newspaper.

" We have decided to hear from them because this is a democracy, if we were in a military dictatorship I may have just decreed and asked one party to step down.”