The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has appealed to the Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, and factional leader of the federation, Chris Giwa, to end their fight in the interest of the game.
He urged the losing side of the NFF election to accept defeat.
Saraki, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sanni Onogu, was quoted as making the appeal when Pinnick led FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, and Secretary General of FIFA, Fatma Samoura, on a visit to the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday.
Saraki urged the NFF to seize the international recognition accorded Nigeria on the visit by FIFA to put the crisis plaguing the federation behind them.
He urged the warring sides to be committed to providing leadership for gainful football administration in the country.
The former Kwara State governor said the visit had given him the opportunity to address the NFF officials on the ongoing crisis in the federation, saying that the football body must solve its problems.
The Senate President said, “A lot of you professionals sometimes blame politicians that when we lose elections we don’t want to accept. But now, we the politicians are now reformed. When we lose elections, we accept. I think football professionals too should learn from us.
“In this era of change, when you lose elections, accept and wait for when the tenure is over to re-contest. But to try and bring the house down because you did not win would not be in the overall interest of the country.”