LOADING

Type to search

Feature Investigation Update

EXCLUSIVE: Supreme Court Delivers Major Judgments Against LMC, Nigeria League

A major legal challenge on the status of the League Management Company is now set to begin after Nigeria’s highest court, the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment delivered by the lead Judge, Justice Ejembi Eko, on Friday 28th. January, 2022, declared that Nigeria Football League Limited is very much in existence and transacting businesses.

The implication of this is that there are now two distinctively different organisations, the NFL and LMC, with the same rights to organise Nigeria’s foremost league competition, which is currently referred to as Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The NFL first ran the Nigeria Premier League, before the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) opted to form another company, LMC, to do same.

Bromide of front cover of Supreme Court Judgment

www.insideglasshouse.com can authoritatively and exclusively reveal that the League Management Company (LMC) and First Bank Plc, both Garnishees in the suit had claimed that the 1st. Respondent, NFL never existed while citing the Order made by Justice Okorowo of the Federal High Court in 2012 in suit No. FHC/AB/CS/179/2010 stating that NFL incorporation was illegal and void and be winded up.

However, Supreme Court firmly noted in its judgment that, “the very adumbrated judgment of Justice Okorowo claimed by the respondents to have declared the incorporation of the 1st. respondent, ( NFL ) illegal and void was executory, as it clearly placed a further duty on a third party, the Corporate Affairs Commission to wind up the 1st. Respondent, NFL.

Supreme Court further affirmed that, “there is no evidence that at all times material to the decision appealed, the winding up order had been carried out or duly executed”.

Adding that “the fresh and additional evidence, the bundle of documents ( comprising the various Union Bank of Nigeria Plc cheques) filed in this appeal by the appellants on the orders of this Court made on the 18th. December, 2020, clearly shows that in spite of the decision of Justice Okorowo and the order made in suit No: FHC/AB/CS/179/2010 on the 20th. January, 2012 , the 1st. Respondent ( NFL) was very much around and on ground transacting businesses as reflected by the 50 cheques which various sums of money were paid into its account no. 0321530771 held at the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.

It would be noted that the League Management Company Limited is not even known to the 2010 Statutes of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The consequence of the landmark judgment is that a major challenge in the High Court of the existence of the LMC is very much in the offing.

Final page of 33-page Supreme Court Judgment
Tags:

You Might also Like

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *