Court Puts NFF September 30th Election On Hold

Hon. Justice Iyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court 5 Abuja, on Thursday, put on hold the September 30, 2022 National Football Federation (NFF) election slated to be held in Benin.

Justice Iyang, at about 9.45 a.m this morning, 15th Thursday, September 2022, presided over the matter in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1376/2022.

The claimants are Harrison Jalla, Chief Rumson Victor Baribote, Austin Popo, and the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN). The defendants are NFF Chief Amaju Pinnick and Sunday Dare, Minister of Sports and Youth Development.

The PFAN brought the matter to Court in mid-2021 to demand from the NFF equal representation for all the five statutory bodies making up the NFF in terms of voting rights and representation on the NFF Board, its Congress, and Substanding Committees.

The Plaintiff stated that the defendants disregarded the Court’s adjournment of the case by brazenly going ahead to organize and set elections for September 30. The case was adjourned by the court in June to October 31, 2022.

Justice Iyang ordered the NFF September 30 Election be put on hold and that parties maintain the status quo and adjourned further proceedings to October 31, 2022. 

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Earlier in the year, it was concluded by the NFF leadership that the country’s players union PFAN, led by Tijjani Babangida, would not partake in the supposed September 30 Elective Congress that will usher in a new NFF Executive Committee because it dragged the football federation before a regular court.