NFF may go ahead with election despite court order

•Group Threatens To Bomb Congress Venue

With the release of the agenda for the Annual General Assembly (AGA), there are tacit indications that the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), may go ahead with its September 30 election, despite last Thursday’s court order forbidding the same.

An Abuja court last Thursday, forbade the NFF from holding the election, scheduled to take place in Benin, Edo State.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court 5, Abuja, had on Thursday, put the elections on hold while presiding over a matter in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1376/2022 between (1) Harrison Jalla (2) Chief Rumson Victor Baribote and (3) Austin Popo (4) The Registered trustees of the National Association of Nigeria Footballers (NANF) (trading under the name and style of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria) (PFAN) VS (1) Nigeria Football Association (NFA) (trading under the name and style of the Nigeria Football Federation) (NFF) (2) Amaju Pinnick (3) Hon. Minister of Sports and Youth Development.

The plaintiff approached the court in mid-2021 after due process demanding an amendment to the NFF statutes 2010 for equal representation for all the five statutory bodies making up the NFF in terms of voting rights and representation on the board, its congress and sub/standing committees. 

A group, named Nigeria Football Stakeholders, also wrote a threatening letter addressed to Sunday Dare and NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, warning that cancelling the elections is the only thing that can stop them from bombing the venue.

Despite all these, the NFF on Friday made public the agenda for the annual general assembly. It was gathered that a declaration of the annual general assembly has been convened and composed in compliance with the Statutes of the NFF.

Other items on the agenda are the presentation of the consolidated and revised balance sheet alongside the profit and loss statement of the NFF.

Vote on proposals for amendments to the statutes, the regulations governing the application of the Statutes and the standing orders of the general assembly and dissolution of the current executive committee.