CHRIS Giwa and Amaju Pinnick on Friday appeared before the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne for settlement of the disputed elections into the executive board of Nigeria Football Federation.Giwa and Pinnick, who both emerged NFF presidents from various factional elections conducted on August 26 and September 30, 2014 respectively, were physically present before the panel established to resolving sports’ legal disputes in Switzerland.
Goal earlier reported that the frustrated proprietor of Giwa FC took his case to CAS in September as he still has the belief and conviction that he actually won the NFF election held on August 26.
The awaited verdict of CAS is expected to provide a lasting solution to the protracted six months long crisis which have engulfed the nation’s football since it exit from the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
It would be recalled that observers and aggrieved contestants in both the August 26 and September 30 elections have demanded for a fresh elections after cries of irregularities.
However, the failure of the Pinnick led NFF board to set-up an arbitration panel in resolve of the election disputes over the split that had the minority and majority in the NFF Appeals Committee.
Thereafter Barrister Igbokwe, who contested for 1st Vice President of the NFF in the September 30 elections requested for an arbitration panel to be set up after he got a go ahead from Fifa to seek redress outside a regular court after he had his appeal nullified by the majority members of the appeals committee.
The insistence of Pinnick against setting up an arbitration panel has forced the surprise return of the Giwa’s factional board into office last Thursday.
