Members Of Players Union Drag NFF To Court For Equal Representation At Congress

Three members of the players union have sued the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) demanding among several other things for equal representation of the major stakeholders at the NFF Congress.

The three members of the players union are Harrison Jalla, Rumson Baribote and Austin Popo.

The defendants are the NFF, NFF President Amaju Pinnick and Sports Minister Sunday Dare.

The suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/376/21 has been filed at the Federal High Court Abuja.

The writ of summons have been obtained by www.insideglasshouse.com

At present, the 44-person NFF Congress is dominated by 37 State Football Association Chairmen, while other major stakeholders like the players union, coaches, the league and referees only have a seat each.

The former players said this skewed representation is “most undemocratic” and even contrary to the spirit of the 2010 NFF Statutes.

The claimants also demanded that the next NFF Elections in September 2022 not be conducted without proper amendments of the 2010 NFF Statutes.  

We reproduce the various declarations of the Claimants –

1. The composition of the NFF Congress is no longer fashionable, undemocratic and want the court to declare it so.
2. Want the court to stop NFF from using the Congress as presently constituted for the next elections in 2022, since Statutes unlawful, if it is not amended.
3. Composition, in which one body has 37 members and others one each, is most undemocratic and contrary to the spirit of even the Statutes itself and also democratic principles.
4. Declaration ouster clause Article 69 of 2010 NFF Statutes that ousted the jurisdiction of the court, established under the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria for the settlement of disputes in the NFF, is wrongful, unconstitutional and therefore null and void.
5. Declaration that it’s wrongful, abuse of office and breach of public duty for NFF leadership (1^st defendants) as requested by the second defendant to fail or refuse to acknowledge the receipt the 90-day mandatory notice and 14-day reminder notice by the claimants to effect a legal machinery for the amendment of the 2010 NFF Statutes.
6. Declaration of that the convocation of an Extra-Ordinary Congress in violation of the 30day mandatory notice for such Extra-Ordinary Congress as contained in Article 29 (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) of the 2010 NFF Statutes, illegal, null and void and  every decision taken therein is invalid.
7. An Order of Mandamus of the defendants jointly and severally amend the 2010 NFF Statutes to ensure democratic and equitable representation of all members and independent groups that constitute the NFF Congress.
8. An Order of injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and cronies how so ever called from preparing and conducting the next elections of the NFF Executive Committee slated for 2022 without taking proper procedure for amendment of the NFF Statutes as requested by the claimants particularly the composition of the Congress and Executive Committee, which is the board.