Giwa Remains NFF President As Pinnick Fails To Stop him in Court

Friday Olokor, Jos President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, on Wednesday failed to stop Chris Giwa from taking over as the NFF President after a Federal High Court in Jos refused to grant his request to stop the owner of Giwa FC. Pinnick’s lawyers failed to move a motion challenging the ex parte order of Justice Musa Kurya of a Federal High Court, Jos, which installed Giwa in office. The Judge on June 5, in the case between Yahaya Adama/Obinna Ogba and Aminu Maigari/Musa Ahmadu and two others, made an ex parte order asking the Pinnick board to vacate the Glass House for the Giwa board. His order followed a Supreme Court judgment which asked the lower court to look at the matter between Yahaya’s group and Maigari’s faction for determination. When the case came up on Wednesday, Festus Ukpe from the chambers of Festus Keyamo (SAN), informed the court that he had three motions to file in the afternoon. He said, “My Lord, we are lucky to have the Chief Judge reason with us in this matter, which is of immense importance to the nation. We have three ex parte motions to file; the one dated July 11, 2018 is asking this court to set aside the ex parte order issued to Chris Giwa on June 5, 2018 pending the determination of this case. If it’s convenient to your Lordship, we wish to move it right away, giving the importance of this case.’’ But counsel for Yahaya and Ogba, Habila Ardzard, objected to Ukpe’s application on the ground that he (Ukpe) had not served them with copies of the motions. “My Lord, we don’t think our learnered colleague has the right to move the motions, which have not been served or replied to. There is the rule of court, which must be followed. Besides, the Supreme Court says, where the interest of the other party is affected, he has the right to challenge such a move,” Ardzard stated. Ukpe said, “My Lord, all I want is a stand down so that I can file the motions this afternoon and then serve other counsel with copies, then we proceed. My challenge is that the man ( Shangyula Samuel) who came here last time and said he was representing Maigari and Ahmadu, didn’t file papers for his representation, nor left his address with the court for us to reach out and effect service.” Ardzard opposed the claim and pointed to the court that Samuel left his address with the court and applied to the court to check the case file. The Judge therefore ordered that the case file be checked for the address of Samuel. The Registrar of the court, Ms Blessing Lar, brought out a letter written to the court by Samuel from which his address was copied and given to Ukpe to enable him to effect service on him. Justice Kurya again adjourned the case until September 25 to enable Pinnick to properly file his motion before the court and effect service to all the parties involved in the matter. Ctedit: Punchng