Drama As Pinnick, Giwa Exchange Blows

There was Drama at the Abuja National Stadium Package B on Wednesday when NFF President Amaju Pinnick engaged in a fight with his longtime adversary, Chris Giwa during a meeting called by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung.

It was the timely intervention of the Honourable Minister of Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung and security personnel that prevented what could have been a bloodshed battle.

Pinnick Giwa fight
It was gathered that the Minister had invited them to resolve their ongoing crisis on who the rightful head of the football body is.

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Recall that between August and December 2014, Barrister Chris Giwa, who is also the owner of Giwa FC and the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, were in a fight for the control of the nation’s football federation.

Giwa claimed to be the duly elected President of the NFF, owing to the August 26, 2014 contentious election in Abuja.

He had even taken the matter to both the continental and world football governing bodies but lost on both occasions, as Amaju pinnick was recognized as head of the Nigerian football body.

While the meeting failed to achieve its desired aim, it also saw old tempers awakened as Giwa and Pinnick were said to have almost engaged each other in fisticuffs.

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The bone of contention on Wednesday at the meeting in Abuja was the interruption of the speech of Pinnick by Giwa during the meeting.

Pinnick alleged that while Giwa spoke, he did not interrupt him, but as soon as he began speaking, Giwa started interjecting.

Then Pinnick allegedly called Giwa a bastard. The dialogue that ensued that fueled the scuffle went thus:

Giwa had replied angrily to Pinnick: “You called me a bastard?

Pinnick then replied: “Who are you, am I not a Nigerian?

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The heated argument almost led to exchange of blows.

The Minister then waded to resolve the situation, Amaju Pinnick then apologised to Giwa.

After the meeting, Pinnick insisted there’s mutual respect in the discordance that was relieved at the meeting called by the Minister, and that every issue had been resolved.

Pinnick said, “You can activate your animalistic tendencies as a reaction. But we were able to articulate issues and there was no victor or vanquished; football was the winner at the end of the day, the status quo is maintained.

“As the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, am happy because Chris Giwa and I spoke. He’s a major contributor to football and one of the very few Nigerians to do so; and we at the Football Federation have given him his respect.”

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