FiFA will be mad.
Nigeria is in danger of another FIFA ban after a
court ruled that elections that ushered in Delta FA
chairman Amaju Pinnick as president of the
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) last month were
illegal.
World football governing body FIFA have warned
that should anything hinder the newly-elected NFF
executive committee led by Pinnick from
operating, they will move for an automatic ban for
the country till the next FIFA congress in May.
On Thursday, Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the
Federal High Court Jos ruled against the NFF
elections in Warri of September 30 as well as the
congress preceding it because they were against
his orders.
“I have set aside all the proceedings and
decisions of the Warri Extra Ordinary meeting of
the 20th September and the Elective Congress of
30th September which were direct contravention
of the orders of this court as granted on the 19th
September,” said Justice Allagoa.
“Nobody should foist on the court a complete
case of hopelessness so that the principles of
law and justice can be upheld. Its not enough to
say that the order of court was wrongly made, no
matter how unorthodox, its subsisting orders,
unless set aside, remains law and must be
respected.
“Defendants in this matter have not filed any
counter affidavits in this court to contest the
facts. There is no motion nor Memorandum of
Appearance. This is a court of Record. On this
note, the court has no option to protect the
integrity and sanctity of court. Court orders are
not tea party. Nobody is above the law. Impunity
must be stopped.”
Some persons on behalf of Chris Giwa, who
maintained he was elected NFF president on
August 26, took the matter to the court even
though FIFA statutes forbid football matters to be
deliberated in a civil court.
FIFA did not recognise the election of Giwa and
warned he and his supporters to vacate the NFF
office in Abuja.
In July, Nigeria was suspended briefly after
another Jos court sacked the NFF then led by
Aminu Maigari and the country’s sports minister
appointed a civil servant to run the federation.
NFF appeals
The executive committee of Nigeria Football
Federation has filed for appeal against the ruling
of the Federal High Court, Jos Judicial Division of
Thursday, which annulled the NFF elections of
September 30.
The Judge had given the order annulling the
elections despite a preliminary objection filed by
the NFF challenging the jurisdiction of the court
to hear the case.
NFF 1st Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi, said: “We
have been notified of the ruling of the court,
which was made in spite of our filing for a
preliminary objection concerning the jurisdiction
of the court.
“However, our lawyers have gone to work
immediately the order was made. We are
appealing the ruling and also filing for stay of
execution of the order.”
On Thursday, Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the
Federal High Court Jos ruled against the NFF
elections in Warri of September 30 as well as the
congress preceding it.
“I have set aside all the proceedings and
decisions of the Warri Extra Ordinary meeting of
the 20th September and the Elective Congress of
30th September which were direct contravention
of the orders of this court as granted on the 19th
September,” said Justice Allagoa.
“Nobody should foist on the court a complete
case of hopelessness so that the principles of
law and justice can be upheld. Its not enough to
say that the order of court was wrongly made, no
matter how unorthodox, its subsisting orders,
unless set aside, remains law and must be
respected.”
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