TheCable

More drama continues to unfold ahead of Tuesday’s congress of the Nigeria Football Federation: the State Security Service (SSS) has invited top NFF officials Alhaji Aminu Maigari and Barr. Chris Green to its Aso Drive office in Abuja.

A source close to the Glass House confirmed to TheCable that the invitation is a ploy to prevent Maigari from attending Tuesday’s congress at Chida Hotel starting 4p.m.

“Maigari and Green were invited by SSS so they won’t be a part of today’s congress in Abuja,” the source said.

“It is a strategy by those who want to see him out of NFF at all costs and are hoping to keep him at the SSS office while the congress is holding.”

The source also informed us that states FA chairmen loyal to Maigari will join him in ‘detention’ rather than be at the venue of the congress.

“Maigari has a lot of state federation bosses loyal to him and they have vowed to go with him to SSS office until he’s released. They will remain in detention with him until he’s freed.

“Their absence from the congress will surely cripple today’s proceedings as they form a majority of the members.”

It will be recalled that when Maigari was impeached by eight of the 13-member NFF executive committee, 26 state FA chairmen, who make up more than 50 per cent of the 44-member congress at a pre-general assembly, said he remained president of the NFF and he should immediately return to office.

Meanwhile, a statement signed by Patrick Omorodion, special assistant on media to Nigeria’s sports minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, states that the tenure of Maigari and his board expired by midnight of August 25. It gave no reasons why he resigned.

“The Bauchi-born administrator resigned as NFF President on August 12, 2014 to pave way for a peaceful resolution of the crisis that engulfed the football federation shortly after the 2014 FIFA World Cup.”

But our source debunked the resignation rumour.

“Maigari remains NFF president until after the congress and election,” the source continued.

“They said he resigned on August 12, while then did the minister recognises him as the president afterwards?” he asked rhetorically.