NFF Elective Congress In September Will Not Hold Unless.... Federal High Court

NFF Elective Congress In September Will Not Hold Unless.... Federal High Court

By Niyi Busari

The Elective Congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) slated for September, 2022 may not hold afterall, according to Federal High Court in Bayelsa, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

Justice Isa Dashen of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, had ruled that the proposed NFF Annual General Assembly (AGA) in December, 2021 in Lagos State be put on hold following an ex parte application filed with a motion on notice in a suit number, FHC/YNG/CS/133/2021.

The court had also advised the NFF to settle out of court with those that dragged the federation before it over constitution of the Congress men.

The Claimant had told the court that his rights have been infringed upon because four members of the present NFF Board are illegally occupying the positions. He said that the Chairman of the LMC, Malam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the Nigeria Women's Professional League (NWFL) Aisha Falode, NLO and NNL Chairmen who voted in the NFF elections in 2018 were not elected but appointed as against the statute. This according to him invalidates the 2018 NFF Elections and prayed that the court declare the board illegal and remove them from office.

However, the court advise seemed to fall on the federation's deaf ears as communique after their Executive Committee meeting suggested. The communique stated that the case will be vacated and hoping that nothing will stop the preparation to hold election in September. The Claimant however, claimed that the NFF has neither contacted them nor showed sign of meeting with them to commence the process of settlement out of court.

The Amaju Pinnick led board tenure ends in September, while the elections are expected to hold the same month, the FIFA Council member has publicly stated that he will not contest for the seat he has won two consecutive times.

Speaking with BSN Sports on Sunday in Abuja, the Chairman Task Force of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), Harrison Jalla said that the Elective Congress coming up in September may not hold unless the Federation ammends the statute to give equal representation of the five constituents of the Congress. Explaining further, he said it is undemocratic to the State Football Association chairmen having 37 votes out of 44.

"The September will hold only if they (NFF) obey the order of court and vacate the office.

"If the issues are resolved timely and statutes amended democratically for all statutory bodies to participate the election then, it will hold as scheduled.

 "The Federal High Court in Bayelsa is simply saying that some people who participated in the election in Katsina in 2018 are not elected and contrary to certain provisions that they are supposed to be elected not appointed and because the Claimant is a stakeholder and director in one of the clubs, he said his right has been infringed upon and want the election of 2018 invalidated.

" And that the congress in Benin in December 2021 is illegally constituted and the court stopped it because there are people in that AGM that are not qualified to be members, those are the reason the fellow gave. The court told the NFF to come and clear the issues. And the NFF obeyed the court order while the matter is still pending and will come up on the 26th April. 

"The court has given us the opportunity to go and resolve out of court in that same matter. Myself, Yaya Adama also filed a rejoinder in the suit because we informed the court that the Pinnick led board is not supposed to be heard by the court because there is a pending judgement from the Jos high court nullifying the (2014) election in Warri. The Supreme Court also affirmed it by asking the lower court to reinstate all the orders before it. He added.

He continued, "The two sides have not resolved, the issue. The issue now is not about vacation but the question We should ask oursekves are; was there order of court nullifying Pinnick election? The answer is yes. Is there a court order stopping Pinnick from parading himself as NFF president? The answer is also yes. So if somebody is now saying they are going to vacate the order without meeting the claimants to settle out of court, they don't have proper understanding of what is before court. What is before court is more than the vacating order, there are serious issues.

He said they did their best in making sure that the issue did not get to Court but all efforts proved abortive.

"Before we went to court, we wrote to the NFF, we followed the due process.

"We wrote to the Minister and FIFA, the minister responded and said they will look into the matter that was sometime in June, 2021.

"We got no response from the Presidency and FIFA but we fulfilled all righteousness that all that suppose to hear heard it before we went to Abuja high court, they have also filed their response, the case is coming up in Abuja court on the 9th of June.

"The issue now is that they can not do an election without amending the statutes, election is done on the basis of rules and participation so they have to do it before the election.

Responding to whether Amaju Pinnick led board can stay in office If the NFF elections fail to hold in September.

He said, "The laws of football state you can't remain in office once the tenure expires. And because it's fixed, so those thinking is coming from ignorance. The secretariat takes over and conducts the election.

"It's the same structure that will do it, you can come up with an emergency Congress, and the constituent must agree. The five members are the players, coaches, referees, clubs and the State football association, so you can't arm twist the laws." He concluded.