Maigari, Umeh in supremacy battle

Despite the directives by world football governing body, FIFA and the sports minister that Aminu Maigari should return to office, the crisis in the NFF appears to be long drawn with two factions emerging
Some members are reportedly  backing Maigari, another faction is supporting the continued stay of the Vice President, Chief Mike Umeh. While Maigari was alleged to have withdrawn his resignation letter, Umeh insisted that he could not return to office because he was impeached based on laid down rules
According to a  source close to the meeting held yesterday, while Maigari was said to be ready for peace but Umeh was reportedly insisting that he could not return to the saddle as the president.

While Maigari was reported to have declared that he did not resign, Umeh insisted he did.
“If I have resigned I won’t be here. My relationship with Mike will remain cordial because  he is my first vice presiden,t, Maigari was quoted to have said.
In his reaction, Umeh said the minister lacked the power to dictate to the board what line of action to toe: “The Minister cannot ask Maigari to come back to office because he did not tell us to suspend him. We suspended him in accordance with the laws that govern our football,” he reportedly said.
The Assistant Director (Communications) of the NFF, Ademola Olajire sent a press release that Aminu Maigari has returned to his position as President.
Addressing journalists inside the President’s office,  Umeh said though they were aware of the letter from FIFA reinstating Maigari, they would meet to reply  the letter.
On Maigari’s resumption, he said: “He came to me when he entered the office and we greeted because we are not enemies. But I want to tell you that as far as the board members are concerned, Maigari is still impeached, pending the confirmation by the congress.
“We are going to meet to articulate the way forward. We are aware that there was a letter from FIFA but we will sit to articulate a reply,” he noted.
on   insinuations  that Maigari  had government backing, Umeh said: “Are you implying that government is interfering. Government did not ask us to impeach him in the first place. If he claims  that he has sat with me on two occasions, I want to repeat that we are not sworn enemies.”
“We are not trying to doubt the authenticity of FIFA letter,  that is why we have to meet  to decide on it. We will reply the letter because it is an advisory one. FIFA has rules and regulations and it’s representative in Nigeria, they should not be dealing with individuals,” he noted.
Asked if there  was  still room for peace, Umeh said: “Nobody likes crisis and that was why we told him that if he wants us to give him safe landing, he should resign honourably. That was exactly what the stakeholders agreed and that was what he did. I saw his resignation letter dated August 12 but I don’t have it here.
“The Minister cannot ask Maigari to come back to office because he did not tell us to suspend him. We suspended him in accordance with the laws that govern our football. If he is insisting that Maigari should  come back, does that not amount to government interference,” Umeh added.