NFF crisis: Court distances self from Giwa
A Federal High court in Jos has distanced itself from the widespread claim that it removed the Amaju Pinnick-led board on April 8, 2016, saying that Chris Giwa and his cohorts lied. In a recent ruling, the legal body also granted the prayers of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to appeal against the ruling brought before it by Yahaya Adamu and Senator Obinna Ogba to nullify the September 30, 2014 General Assembly elections.
It could be recalled that on February 3, 2016, Adamu and Ogba had approached the honourable court on behalf of the Giwa-led faction, a situation which they withdrew after the intervention of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Justice Musa Haruna Kurya in his ruling affirmed that the case has the character of a new one when it is re-listed.
“Since the plantiffs have requested the court to re-list the case, it is only proper that they should be patient enough to pursue the case till the end, giving the court the opportunity to hear both sides of the case and reach a final judgement,” read part of the ruling.
On this basis, Kurya has adjourned the case indefinitely saying, “In particular, there is no existing court order removing the Amaju Pinnick-led board from office.
“The public was simply misled when the court order of 23rd of October, 2014 was widely circulated in place of that of April 8, 2016 and the orders that the Giwa faction is relying on are dead, by virtue of an established principle of law in Nigeria and, particularly, by the clear and unambiguous pronouncements of the Federal High Court made on 30th October, 2014.”
Giwa appeared at the NFF office on Friday, May 6, and was said to have been whisked away by policemen after he attempted to forcefully gain entrance into the Glass House in company of all his board members, with the exception of Obinna Ogba, though he later denied.
However, in a bid to avoid a reoccurrence, men of the Nigeria Police Force have stationed themselves permanently in and around the premises of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in Abuja.
