Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youths and Sports, says his meeting with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board and members of a group among its stakeholders will now continue on Wednesday.

Dalung told newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, at the end of a six-hour meeting held in his office, that the meeting was inconclusive.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the minister scheduled the meeting between the two groups to ensure peace continued to prevail within the Nigerian football family.

He had earlier appealed to both parties to maintain peace and tranquility, after a move by the Chris Giwa-led stakeholders group to remove from office the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF board.

Giwa is the proprietor of Giwa Football Club of Jos and had on Aug. 26, 2014 emerged as President of the NFF board at the elections conducted by the NFF leadership.

The elections were immediately disputed by some other members of the NFF, leading to the Sept. 30, 2014 election in Warri which ushered in the Pinnick-led board.

The Warri elections were later nullified by a Federal High Court sitting in Jos, after its restraining order was flouted.

“The meeting was a family meeting and we discussed issues, even though they were contentious. But to God be the glory that we were able to appreciate the issues and identify them.

“And, by the grace of God, we have adjourned today (Wednesday). But we have not tidied up all the issues. We hope we will be able to do this by our next meeting on Wednesday,’’ Dalung said.

He said he was committed to resolving the crisis, adding “I have the political will power to resolve this issue and it is still not in doubt.’’

The minister said the meeting was adjourned because, as a democratically elected leader, he needed to listen to all the parties involved.

“I have listened to them. I have narrowed the issues down to some specifics and, by the next time, we will resolve the issues and it will be in the interest of football in Nigeria.’’

Dalung said there were no fears on his part about what world football governing body FIFA would think about what was going on.

“FIFA is an umbrella body for football, to ensure that federations operate within their rules and within global practice.

“When you fear FIFA, it means you have something to hide. We have nothing to hide. So, FIFA is a father, a big brother and we will relate with FIFA in a friendly way,” he said.

The minister said football politics should be separated from the regular politics, adding that a mix-up of the two could lead to serious crisis.

“This issue has played out in the deliberations with both parties at the meeting, and it is not good for the country’s football,’’ he said.

Dalung called on the warring parties to maintain peace and work as a family for football to strive in Nigeria.

“The football family is a very big family, and its members should move together so as to mobilise investment for development because, as it is now, football is already rising.

“The status of Nigerian football is rising. Our players are making us proud. So, they (the groups) have no reason not to agree with each other,” he said.

Meanwhile, the two groups seem not ready to shift ground in their positions.

Pinnick maintained, in an interview, that he remained the duly elected President of NFF and “nothing can change that’’.

Giwa, on the other hand, said he would stand by the ministry’s decision at the end of it all as a law-abiding citizen.