A Jos High Court in Plateau State has ordered that President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Pinnick should vacate office.
It also ordered that Chris Giwa should take over the football governing body as the rightful president.
The duo of Adama Yahaya and Obinna Ogba had approached the court to re-list the suit against Pinnick which they withdrew after the intervention of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Yahaya and Ogba, however, approached the court to re-list the suit against Pinnick which brought about the latest judgement.
But the verdict may send Nigeria and world football governing body, FIFA on a collision course, a punishment that can attract ban from world football, as FIFA prohibits the use of law court for the resolution of football matters.
The election held in Warri that brought Pinnick into power as the NFF supremo was nullified by Justice Musa Haruna Kurya on Friday.
With the latest court ruling, Giwa early today said that he would resume in office immediately.
The board of NFF says it would file for the stay of execution of the judgement.
“This is not good for Nigerian Football, we will file for stay of execution,”we will definitely file for the stay of execution, embattled NFF boss, Pinnick said when he heard of the judgement.
However, Pinnick and his board have swiftly filed an appeal to vacate the order
“This is a sad one primarily because we have enjoyed a period of peace and have been able to work without the court-today-court-tomorrow situation of the last half of 2014.
“We have filed for stay-of-execution and that means the status quo remains and anything done is done at the actors’ peril. I can assure football –loving Nigerians that there is no reason to panic as we are in full charge and there is no trouble whatsoever.
“There is no order for the Giwa group to take over the Glass House. In fact many of his so called board members have called to dissociate themselves from the matter,” NFF 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi said on Friday.
The Ambassador Giwa led group had withdrawn the case in October 2014. The group later went to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, which threw out the case.
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