Nigeria faces the prospect of Fifa ban after government accepts court order sacking Pinnick as NFF chair

NIGERIA is facing the prospect of a Fifa ban after the federal government ordered the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) chairman Amaju Pinnick to stand down and respect a Supreme Court ruling that negated his election.

At the last NFF congress, Mr Pinnick was voted chairman but his challenger Chris Giwa, refused to accept the result and has been challenging it in court ever since. Not only has Mr Giwa sought to overturn the verdict of the delegates legally but his faction also organised their own summit, which elected him chairman.

Fifa has refused to accept the outcome of the Giwa summit and recognised Amaju Pinnick as the authentic and bonafide NFF chairman. Under Fifa rules, governments are not allowed to interfere in footballing matters and industry stakeholders are not allowed to take disputes to court but seek to resolve them through internal arbitration.

Today, however, the situation in Nigeria took a turn for the worse as the federal government ordered the current NFF board to vacate their offices. Sports minister Solomon Dalung, has asked them to leave and he has ordered Chris Giwa who was voted president at the congress not recognised by Fifa to take over the running of football in Nigeria.

Mr Dalung said that the directive followed a written notification signed for the attorney-general of the federation and justice minister requesting that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports ensure compliance. He added:  “I have been directed to notify you of the Orders dated June 5th 2018 made by Honourable Justice MH Kurya sitting at the Federal High Court Jos in respect of the above mentioned suit between Yahaya Adama Vs Alhaji Aminu Maigari which states that the election of the NFF held on August 26, 2014 under the leadership of Ambassador Chris Giwa be given recognition pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this case and that the purported ban of the executive committee elected on August 26, 2014 from football activities of the NFF is unconstitutional, null and void.

“It is trite law that court orders are sacrosanct and any acts of disobedience to it constitutes threat to the rule of law. Consequent upon the above, you are hereby advised to comply with the orders of court made therein which for now, is the valid and binding order of court, in the absence of any other subsisting order or judgment to the contrary.

“Consequently, Barrister Dalung has however directed the parties involved to comply with the court order. This is a court order and not from Dalung. I will not want to go to Kuje prison because of disobedience of court orders, therefore, I hereby comply with the court orders of June 5th 2018, while Amaju Pinnick and others are also directed to comply with same.

“The order compels the defendants, including the minister of youth and sports, their servants, agents and privies howsoever, the Inspector General of Police and all law enforcement agencies to forthwith enforce the orders made by the court on 19th September 2014 and 23rd October 2014 and give recognition to the General Assembly Meeting and election of the NFF held on 26th August 2014 under the leadership of Ambassador Chris Giwa pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed in this case.”