Drama as State FA chairmen nullify Maigari’s impeachment

ABUJA: The crisis rocking Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) took a different turn on Thursday as 26 State FA Chairmen masquerading as NFF Congress annulled the impeachment of Aminu Maigari who they insisted should immediately return to the Glass House.
The chairmen in a communique in Abuja also rejected the appointment of Mike Umeh as Acting President and all other decisions taken by the board following Maigari’s impeachment, directing a return to statusquo in the interest of peace in Nigeria football.
A mild drama, however, ensued at Serob Legacy Hotel, where the chairmen were scheduled to meet under the auspices of NFF Congress when men of of the SSS stormed the venues and whisked Maigari away to unknown destination. He was however said to have been quizzed, freed and allowed to return to his house.
Addressing journalists shortly after at a private office somewhere in Maitama, Abuja, Abia State FA Chairman, Ephraim Chukwuemeka, leading other FA chairmen, said the chairmen also rejected grounds of impeachment cited by the NFF board which he claims violated statutes of the federation.
It is recalled that the Umeh -led NFF board had on Wednesday called off the proposed NFF congress on grounds that it did not meet the thirty days notice allowed by the statutes
But the chairmen claim that the congress was properly convoked to ratify or nullify the impeachment of Maigari, and has therefore taken action to reverse Maigari’s dismissal in line with powers vested in the Congress.
On the allegation of misappropriation, maladministration and misapplication leveled against Maigari, the FA chairmen noted that to date no member of the congress has been served with details of the motion of dismissal of Maigari along the justification as required by relevant provision of the NFF statutes.
In the communique which we gathered had been forwarded to the world football ruling body FIFA , the chairmen picked holes in Maigari’s impeachment which they claimed “ did not follow laid legal procedures and condition precedent as provided in Article 35(3) and 37 of the NFF statutes”.