Keyamo challenges Dalung to publish S’Court order restraining Pinnick as NFF president

Festus Keyamo (SAN) has challenged Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, to publish the alleged Supreme Court Judgment or Order that restrains his client, Amaju Pinnick, as president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

This is coming after Dalung has insisted on the rule of law in the Ministry’s approach to the leadership crisis currently rocking the Glass House, following the nation’s escape of an indefinite international ban by FIFA as the Federal Government recognised Pinnick as president.

Dalung has continued to back Amb. Chris Giwa as the right president based on a Supreme Court ruling of last April and a Federal High Court Order in June.

But a statement made available to Ripples Nigeria by the Festus Keyamo chambers on Sunday categorically stated that there is no Supreme Court order that installed Giwa as chair of the football house.

“We have read some reports in the mainstream and online media by some uninformed and/or deliberately mischievous persons to the effect that there is a subsisting Supreme Court Order restraining Amaju Pinnick from acting as President of the NFF,” the statement began.

“These reports were fuelled by an earlier Press Release by the office of the Hon. Minister for Sports dated July 6, 2018 as well as its latest Press Release dated August 21, 2018 regarding the current suit which portrays the current NFF leadership as irresponsible, as usurpers and as contemnors.

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“It is, therefore, imperative that we put the record straight: THERE IS NO SUPREME COURT ORDER OR ANY OTHER SUBSISTING ORDER RESTRAINING AMAJU PINNICK FROM ACTING AS PRESIDENT OF THE NFF OR INSTALLING CHRIS GIWA AS PRESIDENT OF THE NFF.

“We hereby challenge anybody who disputes this to publish the Supreme Court Judgment or Order where the names of Amaju Pinnick or Chris Giwa were ever mentioned in any portion of the judgment or as even parties to the case. The fact is that the court processes filed in the Supreme Court matter do not bear their names as parties to the suit whatsoever,” the chambers wrote.

The statement noted that the Supreme Court merely relisted the case and remitted it back to the Federal High Court. And in delivering judgement, the CJN expressed that “ALL previous orders made in the proceedings in the suit are also restored, irrespective of the fact that the matter may be heard de novo (afresh) before another Judge.”

It then added that at this time, there were FIVE ‘previous’ orders existing at the Federal High Court, viz:

1. The Order dated 19th day of September, 2014, restraining the Defendants from proceeding with the Congress.

2. The Order dated 23rd day of October, 2014 nullifying or setting aside the elections conducted into the Executive Committee/Board of the NFF.

3. The Order dated 30th day of October, 2014, setting aside all the previous Orders made above.

4. The order dated 8th day of April, 2016, relisting the case and restoring all orders made by the court WHEN the case was withdrawn on 30th day of October, 2014.

5. The order made dated 14th day of April, 2016 giving leave for NFF to appeal the order made on 8th day of April, 2016 and affirming unequivocally that the orders restored when relisting the case by the court order of 8th day of April 2016 were the orders made by the court WHEN the case was withdrawn on 30th day October 2014 which stated that,

“order 50 Rule 2 of the Federal High Court Rules 2009’ the Plaintiff having withdrawn the suit, all orders made previously including the dissolution of the Executive Committee (Board of) Nigeria Football Federation vide order of this honourable court dated 23rd October, 2014 seizes to have life and this matter stands struck out.”

 

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