Chris Giwa Becomes NFF President Pending the Final Judgement....Giwa's Lawyer

By Admin The lawyer of the newly affirmed president of the NFF Patrick Ikueto replied to a statement credited to the former NFF saying there is no problem and that Supreme Court only referred the case file back to the High Court. "Again, our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the former “NFF 1st Vice President/Chairman, Legal Committee, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, wherein he sought to mislead the general public into believing that the Supreme Court only referred the case filed by the Chris Giwa-led Executive Committee of the NFF back to the Federal High Court for “Re-hearing”." "As we have clarified in several quarters the Supreme Court, in its Judgment delivered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria on 27 April 2018, affirmed the Judgment of the Federal High Court re-listing the Suit and restoring all the previous Orders made by the Court," he continued.   The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also clarified the judgement of the Supreme Court. "In effect, the Judgment of the Court of Appeal, upon which the Amaju-Pinnick led Executive Committee of NFF derived their “mandate”, was set aside by the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court of Nigeria affirmed that the Federal High Court has the jurisdiction to restore its previous Orders, including the Order setting aside the Election from which the Amaju Pinnick-led Executive Committee emerged, same having been conducted in flagrant disobedience of the Orders of Court." "In other words, by the Judgment of the Supreme Court, the Orders of the Federal High Court, setting aside the Election of Amaju Pinnick and his group, still subsists.   Whilst the case is still pending before the Federal High Court, the Chris Giwa-led Executive will remain in office pending the final determination of the Suit."  "This is the Judgment of the Supreme Court and let nobody be deceived by anybody.  In their said statement, Mr. Akinwunmi sought to appeal to sympathy and sentiment when he said that “Globally, the convention of football matters should not be taken to civil courts. Instead, it should be taken to Arbitration as the appellants have already done in this matter with no success.”   Again, they have distorted the facts.  "The public must know that the case which went up to the Supreme Court was not about any football dispute.  The case was about stopping the perpetration of illegality.  The election of the present Executive Committee of NFF was patently illegal as it was conducted in violation of a Court Order.  And it is preposterous for anyone to argue that FIFA would condone illegality under any guise.   "Secondly, it is not true that the Appellants (the Chris Giwa-led Executive) lost at the Arbitration.  In the Arbitration proceedings commenced by Chris Giwa at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), the CAS merely held that it had no jurisdiction to inquire into the election of Members of a Country’s Football body, such as FIFA.  The CAS held, in that case, that the election of members of a Country’s football body is governed by the domestic laws – in this case, Nigerian Law." He explained. "Mr. Akinwunmi further sought to “assure our partners and sponsors, football players service providers and CAF and FIFA that there is nothing to worry about.”  Our response is simple.  As shown above, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has confirmed the decision of the Federal High Court setting aside the Election of the Amaju Pinnick-led Committee as “illegal”, same having been conducted in disobedience of Court orders." "Therefore, our “partners and sponsors, football players and service providers” should have absolutely nothing to worry about.  The law, by the Supreme Court’s Judgment under reference, only recognises the Chris Giwa-led Executive as the legitimate NFF body.  What has happened is simply a case of change of guard.  A change from Illegitimacy to Legitimacy."