Nigeria is again at the risk of being banned by FIFA as a court in Plateau State has nullified the elections held in Warri, Delta State, that produced Amaju Pinnick as President of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, on September 30, 2014.
On Thursday, Justice Ambrose Allagoa of a Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, ruled that the elections into board of the NFF were against his order.
Justice Allagoa ruled that, “I have set aside all the proceedings and decisions of the Warri Extra Ordinary meeting of the 20th September and the Elective Congress of 30th September which were direct contravention of the orders of this court as granted on the 19th September. Nigeria Football Federation.
“Nobody should foist on the court a complete case of hopelessness so that the principles of law and justice can be upheld. Its not enough to say that the order of court was wrongly made, no matter how unorthodox, its subsisting orders, unless set aside, remains law and must be respected.”
He added that, “Defendants in this matter have not filed any counter affidavits in this court to contest the facts. There is no motion nor Memorandum of Appearance. This is a court of Record. On this note, the court has no option to protect the integrity and sanctity of court. Court orders are not tea party. Nobody is above the law. Impunity must be stopped.”
The latest development may annoy FIFA, which has warned that it would automatically ban Nigeria till May 2015, when its next congress holds, if the newly-elected NFF executives are removed from office without the completion of their tenures.
Court Sacks New NFF Board, FIFA May Ban Nigeria http://t.co/v29cZJy4a9