Nigeria football may be headed for uncertain times following the recent ruling of the Appeal Court nullifying the elections of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that ushered in the Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau-led board.
In a shocking ruling, the Appeal Court in Abuja, led by Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, alongside Justice Okon Abang and Justice Adebukola Banjoko, ordered the sacking of all members of NFF board for alleged use of court orders obtained from ‘dubious’ means, in conducting the NFF elections held in Benin City, Edo State, on September 30, 2022.
Commenting on the development, former Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Amanze Uchegbulam, says, the nullification of the 2022 NFF elections was an avoidable consequence of a misadventure.
According to theajasanews report, Uchegbulem, a former member of Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Arbitration Committee, who was a Presidential aspirant in the 2022 NFF election, said he withdrew from the exercise to avoid the risk of contempt of court after a directive from the then Minister of Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, that the election be suspended, was ignored by the NFF electoral committee.
“I withdrew from the election on principle because I did not want to compromise my integrity in the game. I also withdrew my FA – the Imo Football Association from the exercise because there was a court order stopping the elections,’ Uchegbulam said.
He said as a law-abiding citizen, he conveyed his decision to withdraw from the contest in a letter to the electoral committee, dated September 26, 2022.
“I conveyed my decision to withdraw from the contest in my letter to the electoral committee, dated September 26, 2022, citing the Court Order from Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo on the 15th of September, 2022, stopping the election, pending the hearing of a substantive suit; as my reason.
“I am vindicated by this development,’’ Uchegbulam said. “There was also an advice from the then Minister of Sports, Mr. Dare, that the election be suspended because of the Court Order. True to type, they went and got a counter order from somewhere and ignored the advice of the Minister and in disobedience to the court order.
“The court has said the counter Order was procured through‘deceit’ as it was not from an authentic source. It was all out of desperation. Too bad,’’ he said.
Uchegbulam, however, advised the minister of sports development, Senator John Enoh, to intervene in the development and save the country’s football from the consequences of the Appeal Court ruling, saying it has the potential of disrupting the administration and development of the game in the country, if not properly managed.
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