Stops Sports Minister, Pinnick from conducting
NFF election
On Thursday, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja Federal High Court halted Youth and Sports Minister Sunday Dare and President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, from performing the scheduled September 30 NFF executive election in Edo, Edwin Emeanua reports for Sports Joust.
In his ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by Celsus Ukpong, the counsel for the plaintiffs, the Court enjoined the minister, Mr. Pinnik, or any person taking action on their behest, to sustain the existing state of affairs until the hearing and resolution of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
“Counsel for the claimants informed the Court that the defendants are taking action that will adversely affect the subject matter of this case.
“Parties are at this moment ordered to maintain status quo ante pending a final order of this court,” Justice Ekwo ruled.
Justice Ekwo subsequently defaulted the case to October 31 for a hearing.
The submission referenced FHC/ABJ/CS/1376/2021, Harrison Jalla, Chief Victor Rumson Baribote, Austin Popo, and the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) are listed 1st to 4th plaintiffs in that order.
In the injunction filed on September 2, NFF, Pinnick, and the minister are listed 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.
Through the motion, the plaintiffs are asking for a temporary order restricting the defendants, their agents, employees, staff, officials, or electoral committee from arranging or performing any election into any executive office of the NFF until the hearing and conclusion of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
Through the affidavit of support for the motion, Fayenengigha Jacob, a counsel from the Ukpong chamber, deposed that the defendant’s actions are undemocratically motivated, adding that the defendants have also served with papers of the matter. Though the NFF and Pinnick have already entered their response in the case, the minister is yet to do so.
Jacob attested that a complaint in the case was how the NFF was being composed, leading to denying the majority of the interested parties and NFF members from imputing or contributing to the development of football in Nigeria.
Jacob submitted that this undemocratic leadership had caused a slump in the growth of Nigerian football.
The counsel for the plaintiffs noted that his clients could not participate in the recent congress held in Lagos for no reason.
“That the claimant had legitimately called on the leadership of the said body to set machinery in motion to amend the 2010 NFF statute deprive the majority of the NFF members such as the Professional Football Association, the league, the coaches body, and the players from participating in any election let alone of winning same.
“That the said leadership of the NFF, the 2nd defendant (Pinnick), his agents, privies refused or neglected to allow the due process to take place in amending the said 2010 NFF statute,” Jacob said.
Jacob contended that even as this case is still in Court, the defendants will announce, organize and conduct an NFF election this month.
Jacob stated that the defendants received the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction to stop them from carrying out any election into the executive offices of NFF until the conclusion of the main court case.
Jacob insisted that, while the motion on notice for interlocutory order to stop the defendants from disrupting the status quo in the process, the defendants have drawn out a timetable and set up an electoral committee to perform an election to the offices of the NFF on Friday, September 30, 2022, in Benin City, Edo State.
He contended that the Court would deny the Plaintive their intentions should the September election go ahead without hearing of the pending motions and substantive matters.
