Court Sacks NFF Exco

(Photo: Amaju Pinnick)

The lingering crisis in the Glass House assumed a new dimension on
Thursday as a Federal High Court sitting in Jos set aside the election
of Mr. Amaju Pinnick as the chairman of the Nigeria Football
Federation.

Justice Ambrose Allagoa in a judgment said that the election was
conducted when there was a court injunction against it. He therefore
ordered that the status quo be maintained and that is that the
election that produced Chris Giwa as the NFF chairman should be
recognised.

Justice Allagoa said, "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."

Messrs Obinna Ogba and Yahaya Adamu of the Giwa-led faction had
dragged the immediate past Chairman of NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari and
the NFF Secretary General, Musa Amadu, to court seeking for orders to
restrain Magari as the first defendant, the NFF as the second
defendant and Football Association as the third defendant from
conducting another election after the Giwa-led faction was elected.

But the Maigari-led board had on September 20 and September 30, 2014
held extraordinary congresses, which led to the election of the
Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick, as the new
NFF President.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr. Habila Adzard, expressed satisfaction
after the judgment. He said, "The judgment is clear. The learned judge
was categorical that the election was null and void because it was
conducted when there was an injunction against it and so Chris Giwa
remains the chairman of NFF.

Efforts to reach Giwa for comments on the judgment were unsuccessful
as his phone was switched off.

But in a swift reaction, the Executive Committee of Nigeria Football
Federation filed for appeal against the ruling which annulled the NFF
Elective Congress of 30th September, 2014.

The NFF lawyers said that 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 First Vice President, Mr. 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 went to work immediately the order was made. We
are appealing the ruling and also filing for Stay of Execution of the
order."
--PUNCH