Former Super Eagles skipper and Nigeria’s Football Federation Technical Committee member, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and renowned sports marketer, Chief Mike Itemuagbor, have said there was no iota of truth in the news making the rounds that Chief of Staff to the President and former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe was behind the current crisis rocking Nigerian football.

Okocha, who spoke first to reporters in Abuja at the weekend revealed that he has always been a close friend of Chief Oghiadomhe, whom, he said believes in due process and will not encourage any group to form a rebel group against a duely constituted body.

“The renegades have been name-dropping and a section of the media fell for the tricks, Chief Oghiadomhe is a law abiding Nigerian, who will not encourage crisis anywhere in the country because he wants anybody removed from his position in football.

Itemuagbor, on his part, said he has known Oghiadomhe over the years as a man of integrity and honour, who will never encourage rebellion of any sort in any sphere of life.

“We’re talking of a man who was for eight years Deputy Governor and now Chief of Staff to Mr. President, why should he drag our soccer in the mud?, he asked rhetorically.

He called on the opposition NFA led by Jarret Tenebe to follow due process, which abhors court cases and unnecessary bickering if they have genuine case against the present NFF leadership.

“We’re in the midst of qualification for several important tourneys and I think the NFF needs to be given full concentration instead of what we’re witnessing, those who have a case against anybody let them leave government and its officials out of it and follow due process. I also want the NSC to thread softly, instead of playing to the gallery”, he said.