The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has
taken a key step in ending the ongoing tussle over its leadership, by
lifting the bans handed to self-acclaimed President of the Federation,
Chris Giwa and a few others.
Arising after their meeting shortly before the 2018 Extra-ordinary
General Assembly held in Benin City on Thursday, the Executive Committee
reeled out these developments, subject to ratification by the Assembly.
Also Giwa FC, owned by Chris Giwa, was handed provisional readmission to the second tier of Nigerian football league.
Giwa FC were relegated from the elite league in 2016, after a series
of breach to the framework and organisational conduct of the league.
The leagues (NPFL, NNL, NWFL, NLO) which have been on hold since the
Supreme Court judgement, have been directed to recommence for the end of
the 2017/2018 season.
Nigeria’s various football leagues have been put on hold ever since a
Supreme Court judgement – ostensibly mandating the Amaju Pinnick-led
Executive board of the NFF to step aside while the re-trial of Chris
Giwa’s court case heard at the High Court in Jos was enforced.
“The Congress mandated the Executive Committee to ensure the
commencement of all football programmes, including Leagues, Aiteo Cup,
Zenith Bank U13 & U15 Future Eagles Championship, among others, and
directed the relevant NFF standing committees to appropriate support in
this regard,” read a part of the Communique.
The current four-year term of the Pinnick-led executives is expected
to elapse next month with a new election scheduled for the end of
September. However, the Assembly held that the date was no longer
feasible. Additionally, persons previously under ban are also expected
to participate in the elective congress.
“The Congress as part of the wider reconciliation efforts, has
mandated and approved for the NFF Electoral Committee to review the
ongoing NFF electoral processes, guidelines and reopen the process for
any qualified interested stakeholder to participate, including those
that may qualify after meeting the set conditions of taking football
matters out of ordinary courts as outlined above,” added the communique.
The NFF, in May 2016, slammed a five-year ban from all
football-related activities on Chris Giwa, Sani Fema, Muazu Suleiman,
Yahaya Adama and Effiong Johnson for taking football matters to domestic
courts.