AFN Crisis: Court of Appeal Reaffirmation Claim By Gusau Untrue, Contemptuous - Ministry of Sports

AFN Crisis: Court of Appeal Reaffirmation Claim By Gusau Untrue, Contemptuous - Ministry of Sports

By Niyi Busari

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has said that the Court of Appeal in Abuja has never pronounced Ibrahim Shehu Gusau as the President, Athletic Federation of Nigeria, AFN, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

The ministry in a statement made available to BSN Sports urged the Board of the federation Nigerians to disregard the claim by the factional president of the AFN adding that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja will in no distance time come out with pronouncement.

The statement signed by the legal department of the ministry reads; "The attention of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has been drawn to the claim by Engr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau in the social media that the Court of Appeal, Abuja re-affirmed him as the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in his proceedings of 29th July 2020."

"Contrary to the claim in the social media, what happened on the 29th July 2020 was that the Ministry (the Appellant) through its counsel applied for the withdrawal of the pending motion on notice for stay of the execution of the Federal High Court, Abuja on judgement delivered on the 1st July 2020 to enable the Honourable Court proceed to the hearing of the substantive appeal which was already ripe or due for hearing and which was also slated for hearing on the 29th July 2020 along with the motion on notice for stay.

"It was therefore at the instance of the Ministry or upon its application for withdrawal of the motion. The Honourable Court struck out the motion on notice for stay as a matter of legal procedure to pave the way for the expeditious hearing of the substantive appeal.
The Honourable Court thereafter proceeded to hear the substantive appeal and reserved its judgement to a date to be communicated to the parties.

"It is on record that the Honourable Court did not either at the time of the withdrawal of the motion on notice for stay of execution and the striking out of the same nor at the time of the hearing of the substantive appeal of the said 29th July 2020 re-affirm Engr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau as the President of AFN and/or pronounce on the status of Engr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau.
Based on the foregoing, the claim of Engr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau that the Court of Appeal, Abuja re-affirmed him as the President of AFN when there was no such pronouncement or decision by the Honourable Court on 29th July 2020 or at anytime whatsoever and when the appeal reserved for judgement is not only untrue but contemptuous of the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

"We therefore, appeal to the Board of AFN and Members of the public to disregard the false claims/publications and await the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja which will be delivered in no distant time. We the Appellant, have implicit and unwavering confidence that the Court of Appeal, Abuja would deliver justice to the parties in the appeal."

Ibrahim Shehu Gusau on Wednesday claimed that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja struck out the Ministry of Sports application and the Court in its wisdom reaffirm him as the substantive president of the AFN.