The Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State has kicked out Mr. Amaju Pinnick as the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), even as Mr. Pinnick had headed for the higher court to lodge an appeal challenging his sack.
The High Court, today, Friday, granted the prayers of Yahaya Adama and Senator Obinna Ogba to relist the case which, among others, had sought to nullify the Warri General Assembly and subsequent elective congress that brought Pinnick to power.
Justice Musa Haruna Kurya, in his ruling, also sustained all the previous orders of the court, thereby effectively making Chris Giwa the head of NFF until the final determination of the suit.
By the orders of the court, the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung is compelled to recognize the Giwa-led Board of the NFF as the authentic board by law. The order also barred anybody from interfering with the duties and functions of the NFF board under the leadership of Giwa.
The court, by this ruling, has set aside all the proceedings and decisions of the Warri extraordinary meeting of the 20th September, 2014 and the Elective Congress of 30th September, 2014 which elected Pinnick as President of the NFF.
Speaking shortly after the ruling, Counsel to Pinnick, Barrister Damon Dashe said his clients will certainly appeal the decisions of the court.
On his part, counsel to Adama and Ogba, Barrister Habila Azard said his clients have been vindicated, and that “they can now settle down and resume all their functions because that is all we have been fighting for.”
The hearing on the substantive matter has been adjourned to the 30th of May, 2016. [myad]
