Exposed! NFF’s dubious legitimacy hits snag

NPL boss, Victor Baribote

*How Justice Auta’s court was misled

On Friday 4^th December, 2011 after emerging from the hallowed chambers of the Federal High Court, Abuja the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) went to town with a viciously implied press statement signed and twice-authored by Mr. Ademola Olajire, the Chief Media Officer where she screamed her illegitimacy has been legalized by the court of Justice Auta.

For three days now, efforts to get the said judgment has met with one reason or the other. A last visit there revealed a funny Freudian slip when one of the staff of the court asked, “why are so many interests in that judgment? You are the fourth reporter and three other lawyers, including one based in Lagos have been asking for it. Wetin dey inside that judgment first?”

Anyhow, seven posers have been raised which has to be answered. These include:

1.       The court which the NFF referred to in suit number FHC/L/SC/962/10 did not sit or gave any orders on the 7^th September 2010 as they have claimed before Justice Auta. This is a dubious misleading of the court.

2.       Their prayers before Justice Auta has everything to do with the issues of the 25^th October 2010’s ruling. None has anything to do with setting aside the orders of Justice Okon Abang’s orders, if at all, since both are court of equal jurisdiction;

3.       As against their questions for determination and plea before Justice Auta, no declarative order was given on the 25^th October to remove them;

4.       Given from the foregoing, no order was exhibited nor such allegation was made as a fact in their affidavit;

5.       The NFF even filed a notice of appeal against the order of Justice Abang on the 6^th September which they filed on the 7^th September through their counsel Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN). Which other court did they claimed before Justice Auta to have sat on the 7^th?

6.       Nowhere in the entire matter did the plaintiffs as led by Alhaji Aminu Maigari claimed to be members of the Executive Committee of the NFF. They sued the IGP and his CP (Legal) in their private capacities. So, if they got any relief, the NFF (despite it’s non-juristic personality) cannot benefit from a matter where they are extant.

7.       Did they raised questions for determination or asked for reliefs on the issue of legitimacy before Justice Auta?

Traversing through their matter again. It was clear they raised three questions for determination. All three were directed at the police. They are:

a)      Whether an interlocutory order made in the course of a suit survives the dismissal or striking out of the suit?

b)      Whether it is not illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional for the defendants to proceed to the enforcement of the interlocutory orders made in suit no FHC/L/CS/962/10 on the 7^th September 2010 or any other date notwithstanding that the suit was struck out by the trial court on the 25^th October, 2010;

c)      Whether any invitation of the plaintiffs to report to the office of the defendants, or any arrest or threat of arrest of the plaintiffs or any of the defendants…

All the five reliefs sought from the court were against the Police.