World football’s governing body, FIFA has rejected the request for a meeting with the Nigerian delegation initiated by Sports Minister Solomon Dalung.

Earlier this week, FIFA issued a one-week ultimate until August 20 for Nigeria to revert back to the legitimate Amaju Pinnick-led NFF board or face a ban.

The aforementioned ultimatum prompted Dalung to write a letter to the international football body on Wednesday, requesting for a meeting between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and a 15-man Nigerian delegation led by him, and including the warring duo of incumbent NFF President Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa, who’s laying claim to Glass House’s top seat.

In its response to Wednesday’s letter, FIFA declined the request and also reminded the Sports Minister of the impending deadline.

The statement signed by the body’s General Secretary, Fatma Samoura read:.”We regret to inform you that we are not in a position to respond favourably to your request for an appointment with the FIFA Ieadership. In fact, the FIFA President is indisposed during the proposed period,”

“Moreover, we would Iike to recall that one member of the proposed delegation, Mr Chris Giwa, is currently under a worldwide ban, in accordance with the decision of the FIFA DiscipIinary Committee dated 10 January 2017 to extend the five-year ban from taking part in any kind of footbaII-related activity imposed by the Nigeria FootbaIl Federation’s (NFF) Disciplinary Committee on 12 May 2016.

“We would like to seize this opportunity to remind you that as per the decision rendered by FIFA’s Bureau of the Council on 13 August 2018, in the event the NFF offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF Executive Committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick by Monday, 20 August 2018 at 12:00 (CET) the NFF will be suspended with immediate effect for contravening binding obligations of the FIFA Statutes.” The FIFA statement via ESPN concluded.