Pinnick's faction will be looking to see the disputed elections given a clean bill of health, while Chris Giwa, initially elected NFF President on August 26 following the resignation of Aminu Maigari and headed a group which filed a case against the viability of the NFF elections, will be hoping the Committee shows independence from the current leadership and orders a re-run of the elections on neutral territory.

Although high level Government interference by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan prompted Giwa to withdraw his faction's court action, forestalling a FIFA threat to ban Nigeria, negotiations to achieve a settlement between Pinnick and Giwa quickly fell apart.

Last week, the NFF Appeals Committee heard three separate petitions arguing the NFF's own regulations were broken on almost every count in the September elections and that they should be held again.

Videos and other evidence were presented to prove the petitioners' points which, they claimed, included the unlawful exclusion of candidates, the absence of representatives from the West African Football Union, the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, the unlawful holding of the election in Pinnick's home base of Warri, the breaking of the rules on how many candidates could stand from each state, and the fact that two non-members of the football family were allowed to vote.

Last Thursday (November 13), in reply, Pinnick and his barristers argued that one of the petitioners had not stood as President, so had no standing to challenge the result.

They argued another of the petitioners did not have the right to appeal, as he had stood in the elections and lost.

They also argued that the petitions were out of time, an argument which the petitioners argued was ridiculous as the petitions had been presented within the stipulated time limits, but the NFF had failed to activate a sitting of the Appeals Committee to hear them.

FIFA has previously threatened to ban Nigeria ©Getty Images



Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate has passed the "NFF Bill 2014" in an apparent attempt to bring sanity to football administration in the country.

The Bill, if signed into law by President Jonathan, would reportedly provide Nigerian football administrators with more autonomy and prevent football issues from being taken to civil courts.

It reportedly includes provisions meaning those who are bankrupt, or who are convicted of dishonesty, will not be able to serve on the NFF Executive Committee.

"I would like to thank all of us for this milestone," said Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as the Bill passed its third reading.

"I believe that this helps the development of our football and the entire crisis we've had in the past.

"I believe that this will bring it to an end.

"There now seems to be a law that will help to create some sanity in the administration of football, and I believe this brings to an end all confusion and dispute that has tried in the past to mar football administration in Nigeria.

"I would like to congratulate all of us and I do hope that our football administrators will take full advantage of this law to ensure that we advance our football to world standard."

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