by Olorunwa Lawal

Controversial winner of the August 26 Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) election, Chris Giwa, has insisted that he will not step down as president of the federation, despite sanction threats from FIFA.

FIFA has given the NFF the ultimatum of Monday, September 8, to reverse the result of the election, and reinstate Aminu Maigari as the president.

However, the former chairman of Giwa Football Club has remain unshaken about his position.

“I remain the president of the NFF, a legitimate congress elected me and that is how it is.

“What I have said [at a public hearing] is that anyone that is aggrieved has the right to appeal to the NFF appeal committee.

“If an appeal committee or the Court of Arbitration for Sport sits today and quash my election, I will humbly vacate office,” Giwa told BBC sports.

Should Giwa refuse to leave and the ban comes into effect on Monday, Nigeria will not be able to play their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on September 10 against South Africa; a feat which would disqualify the country from the qualifying campaign, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has warned.

Maigari’s board met on Thursday in Abuja to adopt a new roadmap leading to the NFF elections as directed by Fifa.

Nigeria were banned from global football for nine days in July for government interference in the running of the football federation when Maigari was forced out of his post by a court ruling. The ex-NFF president had been reinstated, but was voted out of office by the NFF’s executive committee a few days later. However, Fifa did not accept this and he was once again back as president in August.

If the ban is implemented, it will only be lifted when the NFF board is reversed to its state as of 25 August, when Aminu Maigari as president.

Emmanuel Chidiogo