By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
There are strong indications that a Normalisation Committee will run the affairs of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) when the tenure of the present Executive Board expires on September 30 if the court injunction slammed on the federation is not vacated before the date of the NFF Elective Congress in Benin City, Edo state.
The NFF Congress had at the last Annual General Assembly (AGM) in Lagos last month
fixed September 30 as the date for the election into the Executive Board from where the new President, two Vice Presidents and Board Members will emerge to replace the outgoing NFF Board led by Amaju Melvin Pinnick.
Also, the NFF Electoral Committee had already sold election forms, conducted the screening of aspirants and cleared the contestants for the election including 11 Presidential candidates and several Board Members for the September 30 election in Benin City.
But a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo on Thursday, September 15, 2022, stopped the election forthwith.
The judge in the matter which came under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1376/2022 between (1) Harrison Jalla (2) Chief Rumson Victor Baribote (3) Austin Popo (4), the Registered Trustees of the National Association of Nigeria Footballers (NANF) (Trading under the name and style of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria) (PFAN) VS (1) Nigeria Football Association (NFA) (Trading under the name and style of the Nigeria Football Federation) (NFF) (2) Amaju Pinnick (3) Hon. Minister of Sports and Youth Development, has put the NFF Elective Congress in Benin City on hold.
Ruling in an ex parte application moved on Thursday by (1) Dr. Celsius Ukpong (2) Chief Rumson Victor Baribote, and Fayeneniga Jacob, all representing the Plaintiff, Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered the NFF September 30th Election be put on hold and that parties should maintain the status quo and adjourn further proceedings to 31st October 2022.”
Meanwhile, Prompt News has gathered that there are indications that a Normalisation Committee will be put in place to oversee the day-to-day running of NFF until new Board is elected if the September 30 Elective Congress fails to hold as scheduled.
Prompt News has also scooped that the Bureau of the FIFA Council may decide to appoint a Normalisation Committee for NFF in accordance with Article 14 paragraph 1a and Article 8 paragraph 2 of the FIFA Statutes like it was done in nearby Cameroon when the electoral process leading to the election of the FECAFOOT Executive Committee was annulled.
The Committee’s mandate will include to run the daily affairs of NFF; to draft new Statutes in consultation with all stakeholders and in compliance with FIFA’s Statutes and Standards as well as mandatory national law.
Also, to review the Statutes of the Regional and Departmental Leagues and ensure their alignment with the NFF Statuts; to identify the Delegates of the General Assembly and of the Regional and Departmental Leagues; to organise and conduct elections of a new NFF Executive Committee.
The Normalisation Committee will be composed of an adequate number of members to be identified by a joint FIFA and CAF mission scheduled to take place very shortly.
The Committee will act as an Electoral Committee and none of its members will be eligible for any of the open positions in the elections.
The specified period of time during which the Normalisation Committee shall perform its functions shall expire not later than three months from the date of inauguration.
