By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-01-20 02:30:06
A new wave of confusion has hit the Nigerian football circle as the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has sacked the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Board. In a ruling made on January 19, 2024, the court of Appeal panel, led by Justice Barika, along with Justices Okon Abang and Justice Banjoko, set aside all orders obtained by deceit on September 29, 2022, to conduct the purported NFF election on September 30th in Benin City, Edo State.
The ruling came in the case Appeal NO. CA/ABJ/CV/1006/2022, which resulted in the removal of the NFF Board by striking out all dubious orders obtained through deceit. A statement by Harrison Jalla, Chairman of the Task Force of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), confirmed the court’s decision and further ordered that all processes concerning the NFF appeal be deleted from the court’s systems.
The parties in the case were represented by their respective counsels: NFF Chief Okutepa SAN was represented by Peace Omiri and Barrister Arnold from his chambers, while PFAN TASK FORCE was represented by Dr. Celsus Ukpong, Chief Rumson Baribote, and Mary Waribo. The statement also warned that any NFF Board member who parades themselves after the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast would risk facing criminal contempt proceedings.
The Guardian, who made the statement available, also reported that no official of the NFF was willing to comment on the issue. This new ruling has raised questions about the leadership of the NFF and the potential impact it may have on Nigerian football. The uncertainty and legal battles within the NFF continue to cast a shadow over the future of football in Nigeria. It is unclear how this latest development will affect the organization and the teams under its jurisdiction.
Read the original article on The Guardian
