NFF saga: Giwa Floors Pinnick In Jos Court

A Jos based Federal High Court has failed to set aside the ex-parte granted Chris Giwa, one of the fractional President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

An order was given on June 5, 2018, by the court in favour of Giwa’s fraction giving his the impetus to pose as the President of the NFF.

Amaju Pinnick, Giwa’s rival has rushed to the court with three motion and request to vacate the order that gave Giwa the impetus to move into the NFF  headquarters last month.

Mr Festus Ukpe, counsel to Pinnick, told the court when the case came up for hearing on Friday, court that he had filed three motions on notice and was seeking the leave of court to move them.

He said that the motions sought to ask the court to vacate the ex-parte order earlier granted Giwa on June 5, 2018 so that Nigeria could escape a ban from football activities as threatened by FIFA.

But Giwa’s counsel, Mr Habila Ardzard, raised an objection to Pinnick’s motions, and notified the court of a pending appeal he filed before the Jos Court of Appeal in respect of the case.

Ardzard argued that any attempt by the judge to hear any of Pinnick’s motions would amount to “abuse of court processes” and “judicial rascality.”

“My Lord, this Honourable court has been informed of the said appeal before the Jos Court of Appeal, and by that, this court lacks the jurisdiction to continue with this matter pending the determination of the appeal.

“This is the position of the Supreme Court and that of the Appellate court; if the lower court will do otherwise, it will only be setting itself on collision course with the Apex and Appellate Courts.

“We hereby urge your lordship to adjourn the case pending the determination of the appeal by the appellate court,” he argued.

In answering the two posers, the judge declared that he had resolved the two in favour of Giwa, and therefore decided to adjourn the case indefinitely.

“Since there is an appeal before the appellate court, I don’t want to be involved in any judicial rascally, therefore I hereby adjourn the case indefinitely,” he declared.

NAN also reports that the court’s position had created anxiety in soccer circles following the threat by FIFA to ban Nigeria if the NFF leadership crisis is not resolved.

FIFA had given Nigeria up to Monday, Aug. 20, 2018 to resolve the NFF leadership crisis between Chris Giwa and Amaju Pinnick or face ban on all football affairs.