Litigants Insist On No NFF Elections In Benin, Seek FIFA, FG Interventions

Litigants Insist On No NFF Elections In Benin, Seek FIFA, FG Interventions 

Chairman, Task Force of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) Harrison Jalla, former Second Vice President of NFF, Victor Baribote have threatened that anyone that involve in orgainising scheduled NFF elections on 30th September in Benin City will be charge for contempt of court.

The litigants while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday stated that appropriate steps have been taken to implement the court order that stopped the federation from holding.

Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo of Federal High Court, Abuja had on Thursday 15th September, 2022 put the NFF Elections on hold pending when the matter in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1376/2022 between Harrison Jalla, Victor Baribote, Austin Popo as Applicants and NFF, Amaju Pinnick, Ministry of Sports as Defendants. The Applicants approached the court in 2021 demanding an ammendment to NFF statute 2010 for equal representation for all five statutory bodies making up the NFF in term of voting rights on the Board of NFF. 

The court had adjourned the hearing of the case to October 21, 2022 but court in its wisdom granted Applicants an ex-parte order stopping the federation from holding Elective Congress in Benin City.

The Plaintiffs argued that NFF is not above the law and failure to obey court order amounts to contempt of court. 

"NFF has no immunity and not above the law of the land. So, no one has the right to put together any elections in Benin City after court order has stopped it. 

"Necessary steps in making sure that the order is implemented have been taken. So, there is consequence for disobeying court order. What we are saying is that the statute should be ammended to accomodate more congress men to allow equal representation in voting rights of members. We have five statutory bodies making up of the NFF and only one has 37 votes out of 44 votes. This is against Nigeria Constitution and NFF statute.

"Only FIFA and Federal Government intervention can solve the problem as it is." The applicants said.