The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has urged the Taskforce of Professional Football Players Association of Nigeria (PFAN)/ Project 2022 and Concerned Congress Members of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to stealth their swords to allow the September congress hold.
Dare, yesterday’s Monday in Abuja, told the members of both associations to withdraw all pending court cases barring the NFF from holding its elective congress this year.
Prior to this, a member of the Nembe City Seigha Obiene in 2021 has approached the Bayelsa State Federal Hight Court with suit number, FHC/YHG/CS/133/2021 seeking the court to declare the 2018 elective congress in Katsina that ushered in new executives as null and void.
Obiene, whose ex-parte order was granted by the court, alleged that five members of the NFF Congress illegally participated in the 2018 elective congress that ushered in NFF President Amaju Pinnick for the second term in office, The Trumpet gathered.
Until now, the possibility of holding an elective congress on the expiration of the tenure of the present NFF board has been shadowy but recently, the Minister has directed the sports federation to commence the process of holding this year’s elective congress.
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In a letter by President Muhammadu Buhari addressed to the federation, he ordered that the statute that guides the process of electing new executives be amended to accommodate all football stakeholders, who hitherto have been disenfranchised, in the electoral processes going forward.
Buhari reemphasised the government’s commitment to continue to support the growth of sports in the country and advised the NFF to amend that statute to be all-encompassing, reflecting the principle of the national diversity and peculiarities of a sovereign nation while adhering to the objectives set by the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA).
However, Obiene in conformity with the agreement to withdraw the case in the Federal High Court gave a condition which directs the leadership of the NFF to convene an emergency General Assembly of the national football federation to discuss the way forward for Nigeria football.
Remember that last week Friday, the Federal Government ordered the leadership of the NFF to amend its statute to expand the number of Congress.
Also, 28 FA Chairmen had sent a notice to the Secretariat of the Federation asking it to vacate the ex-parte order stopping the federation from holding its Congress.
