Awka – An Anambra State High Court in Aguata Division on Friday has granted an injunction stopping the planned election into the board of the Anambra State Football Association (ASFA).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that election has been scheduled to begin with the election of delegates from Local Government Football Councils (LGFC) on July 25.
Iloegbune Okoye, Chairman of the state FA Normalisation Committee announced the suspension of the exercise at a news conference held in Awka.
He said the originating summons and the restraining order were instituted by one Anthony Chimezie Okanta at the Anambra State High Court, Aguata Division, Ekwulobia.
Joined in the suit are Okoye, Onyedika Chijioke, Secretary and Chike Ononye, Chairman of the ASFA Electoral Committee.
According to the copy of the order signed by Justice C. N. Mbonu-Nwenyi, “the defendants are hereby restrained from conducting elections into the Local Government Football Councils in Anambra State on July 25, 2015 pending the determination of motion on notice.
“That the application is granted provided applicants serves the respondents on or before July 24 and case is adjourned to July 27,’’ It said.
Okoye said that the committee would obey the court order.
“Four out of the five man-committee members are lawyers, including myself. Though football matters are not treated in regular courts; we will obey the order,’’ he said.
Okoye said the committee would be in court on July 27 to vacate the order and ensure that the normalisation committee would conclude the election within the time frame as directed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
He regretted that neither him nor any member of the committee knew the plaintiff and urged “anyone with an axe to grind, should approach the state FA for redress’’.
Okoye, then appealed to all the stakeholders not to frustrate the efforts of the committee. He debunked a claim by some people that forms were being sold in secrecy.
“All legitimate nomination forms were sold at the FA office; sale of forms outside the FA office is criminal.
“The report that some persons where subverting the forms sale process is untrue,’’ Okoye said.
He urged anyone who had evidence of such illegality to come up with such proof stressing “the sale of forms and screening of nominees are still open.
“To the best of our knowledge, every form is issued from here, it is criminal to sell or obtain forms anywhere else.
“This injunction is unfortunate as this committee wishes to deliver on its mandates as soon as possible. As a normalisation committee we do not want to leave behind ASFA with specks of crisis.
“As law-abiding citizens we shall obey the order and ensure it is vacated before we continue with the elections,” he said. (NAN)