The Federal Government has called on football stakeholders to be calm and abide by a court order restraining the conduct of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) election billed for Friday in Benin City.
This was according to a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Ismaila Abubakar, on Wednesday.
“The Ministry is also aware of the Court Order made by Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court on the 15th day of September 2022 whereby the Court had directed all parties, including NFF and the Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports Development to maintain status quo ante pending the final Order of Court,” he said in the statement.
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He added that “Following from the above Order of Court, which had also been served on the Office of the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports Development as 3rd Defendant in the case under reference, the Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports Development will obey and abide by the Court Order and hereby advises all other Defendants in this case, including NFF to abide by the Order of Court by not doing anything or taking any further step(s); particularly, as regard NFF elections that will be or could be interpreted to amount to disobedience to lawful Court Order or contempt of Court.”
According to him, it is common knowledge that the NFF known under the Nigeria existing law as NFA, (NFA ACT 2004) is one of the parastatals under the ministry, adding that the sports ministry is “studying all processes served on it concerning this case, and will take appropriate steps or action to defend itself within the context permitted by the law of our land.
“Stakeholders in the Nigeria Football Family are therefore urged to remain calm and law-abiding as the Ministry seeks a resolution,” he added.
