All eyes on Benin as controversial NFF election may hold or another injunction may stop it
y PFAN Task Force chairmen Harrison Jalla, the appeal court ruling was “ambiguous and unacceptable”
The last has neither been heard nor seen of the legal tussle between the Nigeria Football Federation and Professional Footballers’ Association of Nigeria concerning the September 30 NFF elective congress in Benin City.
A few hours after the Court of Appeal delivered a ruling approving the exercise, the players’ body that had earlier obtained an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja to suspend the election revealed plans to seek redress at the Supreme Court.
According to a press release signed by PFAN Task Force chairmen Harrison Jalla, the appeal court ruling was “ambiguous and unacceptable” on a number of grounds, including the following: No proper parties appear before the Court. ,
There is no record of transmission from the lower court to the Court of Appeal. ,No leave of court was sought from the lower court., The Defendants were not given opportunity to respond to processes filed by the Appellants.,
The Defendants’ lawyers were called on phone by 6pm on Wednesday 28th September to appear in court by 9am of 29th September., What will the court rule on October 5th, when it has tactically stayed the Defendants’ court order for a purported election to be held?
Another section of the release read: “The fight is to enthrone good order in Nigerian football, so the struggle continues beyond an election. The PFAN task force will be heading to the Supreme Court.
“The Augean Stable must be cleared for Nigerian football to take its rightful place.”
Also, there are media reports that the NFF Electoral Committee Chairman has given away a now well-known secret – that the Court of Appeal ruling staying an injunction from the lower court against the NFF Elections was actually given Wednesday, September 28, but to fulfil all righteous it was only announced to both parties Thursday.
In a press statement by Electoral Committee Chairman Aikhumegbe Anthony Malik (SAN) dated September 28, 2022, he spoke about securing the order on that day, which cleared the way for the NFF to conduct the Elections in Benin City.
