Mounting challenges against Giwa’s NFF ambition

As the fight for the soul of the Nigeria Football Federation continues, there are strong indications that one of the gladiators in the fight, Ambassador Chris Giwa is gradually losing ground.
Beginning from 2014 when two elective congresses, one in Abuja in August and the other in Warri, Delta State in September, held and produced two NFF presidents, Nigerian football has not known peace.
It will be recalled that soon after the NFF elective congress in Abuja which elected Giwa under very controversial circumstances, FIFA in supporting the then NFF president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari refused to recognise the Abuja congress and ordered for another one to be appropriately convened.
The position of FIFA did not go down well with Giwa who immediately approached a Jos High Court to seek for an injunction against the September 25 congress and election in Warri. Although he got an injunction to stop the election, the congress in Warri still held and Pinnick was elected as president of NFF.
Just like the Abuja congress that produced Giwa as NFF president, the one in Warri was equally greeted by huge controversy as there were allegations of corruption, manipulation and intimidation of some of the candidates.
It is now an open secret that the present chairman of the LMC, Alhaji Shehu Dikko who was highly favoured to be elected president was ‘held hostage’ and forced to stay away from the congress.
Expectedly, the Jos court whose order was disobeyed immediately declared that the congress and election of Pinnick was null and void. Giwa also took his case beyond the conventional court to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS, in Lausanne in Switzerland. 
When he could not make the necessary head way at CAS, he had to return to the conventional court to pursue his mandate. And at that time, Nigeria was preparing to take part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and FIFA’s hammer was threatening to descend on Nigeria.
Consequently, there was serious hullabaloo and Nigerians called on the government of the day to quickly intervene in the matter to save the country from the imminent ban of FIFA. That was how former President Goodluck Jonathan stepped into the matter.
How was the President able to pacify Giwa and save Nigeria from FIFA ban?. It is said at the meeting with the two factions, agreements were made and the major one was that Giwa would be appointed chairman of the League Management Company. In addition, it is said he was promised some key positions in the NFF secretariat.
It is said these agreements coupled with pressure from highly placed Nigerians made Giwa to withdraw his court case and that saved the day for Nigeria. The country escaped the impending FIFA ban and the Super Eagles attended the World Cup in Brazil.
However, soon after that the NFF was said to have reneged on its agreements with Giwa beginning with the appointment of Shehu Dikko as the Chairman of the League. And to rub salt into Giwa’s festering wounds, the congress of the NFF at the 2015 Annual General Meeting in Abuja decided that only members of the congress would be eligible to contest for NFF presidency or Executive Committee member.
That decision effectively shut the door in the face of Giwa and his members. Consequently, when his kins-man, Barrister Solomon Dalung was appointed minister of sports, it was indeed the right time to fight back.
Since there was a proviso that he could return to the Jos court anytime need arises for him to do so, Giwa then approached the same court to relist the case against the Pinnick led NFF.
So on Friday, April 8, Justice Musa Haruna Kurya, in his ruling granted the prayers of Mr.Yahaya Adama and Senator Obinna Ogba to relist the case which among others had sought to nullify the September 30, 2014 General Assembly and subsequent Elective Congress in Warri that brought Pinnick to office as the president of the NFF.
Once again there was fire on the mountain as Giwa was asked to assume office as the NFF president. On their part, the NFF appealed the decision. And even as Giwa and his group were warming up to resume at the NFF, the minister ordered for status quo to be maintained. The minister’s order was followed by the letter from FIFA that Nigeria would be banned, if the court order is implemented.
At the moment, the euphoria in the camp of Giwa is gradually dying down as he is yet to resume at the NFF several weeks after the court order was given. It maybe that he is waiting for the appeal by the Pinnick group to be heard but a lot of things are happening to undermine his chances.
Firstly, there are strong indications that Giwa has fallen apart with the minister who recently set up a reconciliation committee to mediate in the crisis. The minister’s action did not go down well with Giwa who accused his kinsman of taking sides in the matter.
A look at the composition of the committee lends credence to the worries of Giwa as most members of the committee are favourably disposed to the Pinnick presidency. Moreover, Giwa believes Dalung is also a defendant in the matter so he lacks the moral latitude to set up the committee.
Secondly, one of the two petitioners and member of the Giwa led Executive Committee, Senator Obinna Ogba who is now the Chairman of Senate Committee on sports was at the Extra Ordinary Congress of the Pinnick led NFF congress in Abuja. With his present position, he would have been the most potent weapon for the Giwa group but his presence at the congress conveyed a different message.
Thirdly, Giwa FC has been bombarded by the LMC and the NFF. Following the violence that erupted during the week 12 NPFL match between Giwa FC and Rangers in Jos, the club was fined N6.5m and also banished to Ilorin.
Giwa who is the proprietor of the Jos club was expected to appear before the NFF Disciplinary Committee but he did not show up as doing so would have conferred legitimacy on the Pinnick led NFF.
Consequently, the NFF committee upheld the decisions of the LMC against Giwa FC. What this entails is that Giwa FC is presently facing relegation from the Nigeria Professional Football League. Surely, Giwa the factional NFF president would be torn between saving his pet club or pursuing his mandate to a logical conclusion.
Fourthly, with another round of FIFA ban hovering over Nigeria, some Nigerians are beginning to lose patience with Giwa. Nigeria has 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to prosecute so such concerned Nigerians do not want anything that would stop the Eagles from taking part in the qualifiers. Giwa may be forced to listen to some of such concerned Nigerians.
Fifthly, even Giwa’s camp is getting fed up with the struggle as some of his players who spoke to SHOT! on condition of anonymity said he should give up the fight for his club to be saved from relegation.
“We cannot come out to tell him to his face to stop the fight but we are all tired. It is said when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers and we are the ones suffering.
“For months now we have not been paid and things are really tough with us. These people are trying to frustrate us but he is not ready to stop the fight. He has to consider our plight,” said one of Giwa FC’s most experienced players.
So these are some of the mounting challenges against Giwa. However, he is said to be a strong and highly connected man who takes no prisoners so only time will tell whether or not he will realise his ambition to administer Nigerian football.