Aminu Maigari on Tuesday returned to the Football Glasshouse as Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Maigari’s return to office came just a day after the return of Musa Amadu, the NFF Secretary-General.
Maigari, who returned in company of three of his board members, arrived at the football secretariat at about 1pm and left around 3pm.
The board members, who returned with Maigari were Chris Green of the NFF technical committee, Ahmed Fresh and Ahmed Kawu.
Maigari’s return was predicated on a FIFA directive that his board returns to office to supervise the forthcoming election.
He told newsmen that he was at the football headquarters to complete his unfinished assignment as directed by FIFA.
He said: “We are in the process of completing our tenure, which I believe will usher in a new board.
“FIFA is the owner of this game and as they directed us, we have to quickly as possible comply.
“This is because we subscribed to them as a country.
“So they (FIFA) have to direct us appropriately.”
When asked why he returned to office against the advice of the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Tammy Danagogo, that both factions stay away from office in the interest of peace, Maigari denied any knowledge of the advice.
He noted that his return to office would ensure that the Super Eagles defeat the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Wednesday’s in the African Cup of Nations 2015 qualifier in Cape Town.
He said: “I want to say that since we are back.
“We will salvage the situation and I am optimistic that the Super Eagles will make Nigeria proud in Cape Town.”
Maigari said that the leadership crisis in Nigerian football had set the country back from its initial gains in international football.
He said: “We are supposed to be a united family but in a situation like this you can’t do away with crisis even if the family is smaller than what the football house is.
“The way out of this is for us to do what FIFA wants us to do.
“We have statutes and we must respect it as a football association.
“FIFA’s statute is the overall inasmuch as we subscribe to them.”
Maigari denied knowledge of a purported letter from the Court of Arbitration for Sports, which directed FIFA to stay action on the country’s football case until it had heard from both factions.
He ruled himself out of the forthcoming election, but noted that the NFF board under his leadership would decide on a date for the election before it would get in touch with the congress.
Meanwhile, Danagogo has expressed displeasure over Maigari’s appearance at the NFF secretariat on Tuesday, describing it as a “disobedience to agreement”.
Danagogo, who said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja following Maigari’s return to office, said he was informed by the NFF secretary-general that none of the parties was in the office.
He said: “We asked all the parties, including Maigari and Giwa factions, to steer clear of the football house so that we can amicably resolve the issues.
“The report I got as at this morning is that they were all out of that place.
“I don’t want them to go there and fight.
“It will be in the best interest of everybody involved to maintain the peace we have achieved up to this moment.
“I will confer with those that have the responsibility to look after that place and then do what is necessary, but I can assure you that we will sort this out by end of work today.”