JUSTICE Okon Abang of a federal high court in Lagos has nullified the elections conducted into the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on August 26, 2010, by the electoral committee, headed by Mr A.U. Mustapha.
The judge, in his ruling on Monday, also ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo, to effect the removal of any person found occupying any elective office on the board of the NFF.
Justice Abang also directed that the most senior administrative officer in the NFF should take full charge of affairs pending the time a fresh election would be conducted.
The apparently furious judge said: “In spite of a subsisting order of this honourable court stopping NFF from conducting election into the board pending the determination of a motion on notice before it, the order was flouted and elections were conducted.
“The order of this court remains valid and must be obeyed by all citizens of this country. An act that has challenged the majesty of the court has to be dealt with.”
The judge also held that the court would be moved to hear the contempt proceedings as instituted by the Registered Trustees of National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) on September 21.
Early on in the proceedings on Monday, counsel for the NFF and the Electoral Committee of the NFF, Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN), urged the court to take his application
However, Justice Abang, while relying on a Supreme Court decision, said the court must assume jurisdiction to determine if it had jurisdiction to entertain the preliminary objection or not.
The judge further held that the issue of contempt should be taken first in order to protect the integrity of the court.
NANF had filed the suit against the NFF and others, alleging that the process of the election was perfected without recourse to its members, contrary to the clear wordings of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) statute and other extant laws relating to football administration in Nigeria.
Joined as co-defendants to the suit are NFF’s president, Aminu Maigari; president of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) Board, Davidson Owumi; the chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC)/Minister of Sports, Ibrahim Isa Bio; Director of Sports in the NSC, Dr Patrick Ekeji and NFF’s electoral committee chairman, A.U Mustapha.
Justice Abang had earlier held that it would be improper to allow the elections to take place when there was a pending motion before the court seeking to restrain the conduct of the elections.
Specifically, the court ordered parties to maintain status quo ante bellum, pending the determination of the NANF motion.
NANF’s president, Harrison Jalla, who deposed to the affidavit in support of the suit, maintained that he was the official representative of the players’ union at the General Assembly of NFF in 2004, 2005 and 2006, but that he was “strangely” excluded from subsequent assemblies under various guises to stultify NANF’s activities.
Jalla revealed that the level of anti-footballing activities going on in NFF was alarming, adding that the constituents of the NFF, especially the Nigeria Premier League Board, were currently suffering from NFF’s alleged internal sabotage.
Meanwhile, the trial of four former members of the NFF board will commence today in Abuja over an alleged N1.3 billion fraud.
The members, according to a source, were re-arrested on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and would be arraigned in court today.
The affected officials are the impeached former president, Alhaji Sani Lulu; his former deputy, Amanze Uchegbulam; former chairman, Technical Committee, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and former Secretary-General, Dr Bolaji Ojo-Oba.
The quartet were accused of mismanaging billions of naira which include 125,000 dollars, 250,000 dollars, N34 million, 400,000 dollars, with the stolen 236,000 dollars added to the alleged mismanaged funds.
They were equally alleged to have mismanaged funds received from the world football-governing body, FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and sponsors, in the course of preparation for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the Super Eagles of Nigeria had a dismal outing.
Some of the money received from the bodies allegedly include one million dollars and 200,000 dollars.
It was also alleged that the sacked NFF leadership used N185 million to bribe the 36 state football associations, including that of the FCT, Abuja, at N5 million each to support its cause.
The affected officials were also alleged to have squandered another five million dollars, said to be proceeds of marketing from FIFA.
Documents seen by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that a total of 300 persons were on the delegate list of the federation to the World Cup.
While 158 persons were on the original list, an additional list had 142 persons on it, with many of them labelled as stakeholders and ex-players.
Jonathan had earlier withdrawn the country from all international football competitions for two years but rescinded the decision, following a threat by FIFA to sanction Nigeria.
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