TheCable

Nigeria is in danger of another FIFA ban after a court invalidated the election that ushered in Amaju Pinnick as president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) last month.

The world football governing body FIFA had warned of an automatic ban for the country till the next FIFA congress in May 2015 should anything hinder the newly-elected NFF executive committee led by Pinnick.

Now, Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the federal high court in Jos ruled against the NFF election of September 30 in Warri, as well as the congress preceding it, because they were against his orders.

“I have set aside all the proceedings and decisions of the Warri Extra Ordinary meeting of September 20 and the Elective Congress of September 30, which were direct contravention of the orders of this court as granted on September 19,” said Justice Allagoa.

“Nobody should foist on the court a complete case of hopelessness so that the principles of law and justice can be upheld. It’s not enough to say that the order of court was wrongly made, no matter how unorthodox, it’s subsisting orders, unless set aside, remains law and must be respected.

“Defendants in this matter have not filed any counter affidavits in this court to contest the facts. There is no motion nor Memorandum of Appearance. This is a court of Record. On this note, the court has no option to protect the integrity and sanctity of court. Court orders are not tea party. Nobody is above the law. Impunity must be stopped.”

Giwa was elected president of the NFF in an election that failed to get the blessing of neither FIFA nor CAF.

But the outcome of the NFF general assembly in Warri, which elected Pinnick president, was endorsed by Zurich and Cairo.

In July, Nigeria was suspended briefly after another court in Jos sacked the Aminu Maigari-led board.