Nigeria Reverses Decision Of FIFA to NFF Ban

Few weeks ago, The world football governing body, FIFA, suspended the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, with immediate effect, but now it seem Nigeria appears to have beaten the Fifa ban restricting the country from participating in all global football tournaments after a Jos High court vacated an order yesterday which restrained the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) from functioning. Earlier this month, Fifa suspended Nigeria from all international football in response to the recent interference by the government into the running of the NFF affairs after sports minister Tamuno Danagogo dissolved its board. Mr Danagogo had relieved NFF president Alhaji Aminu Maigari of his job and called an extra-ordinary congress to elect an interim board, citing a July 3 a court

order by Justice Philomena Lot at the Jos high court restraining the NFF board from running the affairs of Nigerian football. Under Fifa regulations, national football associations are supposed to be
independent of the government and allowed to conduct their affairs free from ministerial interference. Fifa thus set a July 17 deadline to resolve the problem, demanding that the Nigerian government withdraw its legal order, which empowered the sports ministry to appoint new federation leaders. Yesterday, the Jos court vacated the order, challenging the validity of the Aminu Maigari-led NFF board from running Nigerian football. This means that the board is now back in full control of Nigerian footballing matters and Alhaji Maigari returns to his position as chairman, negating a decision taken by a extra-ordinary congress on July 6 to elect an interim

 administrator. Last Friday, Justice Philomena Lot issued the injunction, pending the hearing of the substantive suit filed by the proprietor of Nembe Football Club, Mrs Ebiakpo Baribote. Yesterday, however, she vacated the order followed a withdrawal of the suit, which was said to have been sequel to appeals made to the plaintiff in the interest of the country. At a court sitting yesterday, Justice Lot vacated the order following a motion filed to that effect by the counsel for the plaintiff, Habila Ardzard. According to Mr Ardzard, his client had to listen to pleas by some Nigerians so that the country would not be banned. He added: “My client, as a patriotic Nigerian read the mood of Fifa and more so, there is a female World Cup coming up soon as she would not like the country’s interests to be jeopardised by her action.”