Contrary to report that the acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has endorsed Amaju Pinnick as the authentic president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung has denied the purported endorsement.
There was a media early yesterday that Prof. Osinbajo has ‘stamped’ the Pinnick- led NFF board following FIFA’s threat to ban Nigeria indefinitely from its activities on Monday August 20, 2018 except Pinnick is given control of the federation.
In a statement, signed by his SSA Media, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the minister described the report as hallucinatory and invented.
While admitting meeting with the Vice President after the FEC meeting, Barrister Dalung said it had absolutely nothing to do with the NFF impasse or football matters at all.
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“A purported ‘breaking news’ being circulated is totally false and a figment of an imaginary government House correspondent.
“At no time did acting President Osinbajo, affirmed government’s position on the NFF nor did President Muhammadu Buhari write any letter to the Attorney General of the Federation directing otherwise.
“It is a planted story and a fake news. There was no directive from the VP countering the court order. However, the issue is still being handled by the Committee of NFF Elders Stakeholders, therefore, we are hopeful that the parties in the crisis will be able to come to an amicable resolution of the issue. Nevertheless, the status quo remains.
“The statement represents the desperation of interests reflected in trying to counter a Supreme Court Order and is grossly misguided.
“This is not about a faction of an NFF leadership. It is an issue of the decision of the Nigerian court vs an International statute. The truth cannot be overturned, “ Dalung stated.