The Nigeria Football Federation elections scheduled for Friday in Benin City will likely not go ahead following the latest developments.
A federal high court on September 15 had ruled that the elections be put on hold as requested by the Nigeria Professional Footballers Association, but there was a feeling the case would be settled before the polls.
In an apparent bid to resolve the matter, the sports minister Sunday Dare invited the presidential candidates to a meeting in Abuja yesterday, but feelers suggested no solution was found.
Today, the Federal Government, through the sports ministry, has effectively accepted that the elections cannot be held on Friday by insisting that the court order must be obeyed.
“The Federal Government has called on stakeholders in the Nigerian football family to remain calm and abide by the Court Order, by not doing anything or taking any further steps, particularly as regards the NFF elections scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2022 in Benin,” the sports ministry said in a press release today, signed by Mohammed Manga, its
Director, Press and Public Relations.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, said in an official statement issued today that the government agency was fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the proposed elections.
“The Ministry is also aware of the Court Order made by Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court on the 15th day of September, 2022 whereby the Court had directed all parties, including NFF and the Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports Development to maintain status quo ante pending the final Order of Court,” Abubakar said in the official statement.
“Following from the above Order of Court, which had also been served on the Office of the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports Development as 3rd Defendant in the case under reference, the Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports Development will obey and abide by the Court Order and hereby advises all other defendants in this case, including NFF, to abide by the Order of Court by not doing anything or taking any further step(s); particularly, as regards NFF elections that will be or could be interpreted to amount to disobedience to lawful Court Order or contempt of court.”
He explained that it is also in the public domain that NFF known under Nigeria’s existing laws as NFA, (NFA ACT 2004) is one of the parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
Ismaila added that the ministry is studying all processes served on it concerning the case, and will take appropriate steps to defend itself within the context permitted by the laws of Nigeria.
“Stakeholders in the Nigeria Football family are therefore urged to remain calm and law abiding as the ministry seeks a resolution,” he added.
If the crisis persists and the elections are not held, world body FIFA could step in and set up a normalisation committee to oversee Nigerian football in the interim.
