ABUJA – Leonard Igbokwe, a petitioner in the Sept. 30 Nigeria Football Association (NFA) board election, on Monday applauded FIFA’s decision to wash its hands off the matter concerning the election.
He, therefore, urged the NFA to facilitate the process of inaugurating an arbitration panel to bring to an end the ongoing NFA leadership crisis.
• Cue in audio 1
“In line with article 68 of the NFA statutes 2010 (the governing law of Nigerian football), I have written the NFA to set up an arbitration tribunal.
“The kind of tribunal they set up under Prof. Akin Ibidapo-Obe in 2010 to look into election matters arising from the NPL chairmanship election involving Chief Rumson Baribote and Davidson Owunmi.
“So, the arbitration tribunal is not a process that is new to Nigerian football; that process has been used to great effect and to maximum success in four football election matters.
“I have gone ahead to write the General Secretary of the NFA, Musa Amadu, to without unnecessary delay, constitute the arbitration tribunal that will be made up of strictly lawyers.
“Because the difference between an arbitration tribunal and election appeals committee is that in election appeals committee, non-lawyers can be elected by the congress to seat over judicial matters and cause the kind of confusion we witnessed in their sitting.
“But in the arbitration tribunal, you have an all-lawyers affair,’’ he added.
• Cue out audio 1
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Igbokwe had on Dec. 10 through a correspondence given FIFA a three-day ultimatum to reverse its decision upholding the NFA election or risk court action.
FIFA in a letter addressed to Igbokwe dated Dec. 18, said it does not have jurisdiction to determine the outcome of the election and Igbokwe said justice was beginning to emerge.
• Cue in audio 2
“Last week, I wrote FIFA a letter regarding the petition I filed on Oct. 10 on the Warri elections.
“So, I am happy to inform Nigerians that I have a letter before me here from FIFA where they replied to the very serious issues I raised in my petition to them.
“The good thing about the FIFA letter is that once and for all it has stated clearly that FIFA does not have the jurisdiction on election matters in Nigeria.
“That a supposedly earlier letter written by FIFA on Dec. 8 claiming to have upheld the election of Amaju Pinnick and his NFA board is not true.
“FIFA has stated clearly in their letter sent to me on Dec. 18 that they lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter because it’s an internal affair.
“That it will be better handled by competent internal bodies of Nigeria football,’’ Igbokwe said.
• Cue out audio 2
According to Igbokwe, FIFA in its letter said it will abide by the decision of any competent body in the matter.
NAN reports that the FIFA letter obtained from Igbokwe was signed by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and copied to the NFA. (NAN)
ABUJA – Leonard Igbokwe, a petitioner in the Sept. 30 Nigeria Football Association (NFA) board election, on Monday applauded FIFA’s decision to wash its hands off the matter concerning the election.
He, therefore, urged the NFA to facilitate the process of inaugurating an arbitration panel to bring to an end the ongoing NFA leadership crisis.
• Cue in audio 1
“In line with article 68 of the NFA statutes 2010 (the governing law of Nigerian football), I have written the NFA to set up an arbitration tribunal.
“The kind of tribunal they set up under Prof. Akin Ibidapo-Obe in 2010 to look into election matters arising from the NPL chairmanship election involving Chief Rumson Baribote and Davidson Owunmi.
“So, the arbitration tribunal is not a process that is new to Nigerian football; that process has been used to great effect and to maximum success in four football election matters.
“I have gone ahead to write the General Secretary of the NFA, Musa Amadu, to without unnecessary delay, constitute the arbitration tribunal that will be made up of strictly lawyers.
“Because the difference between an arbitration tribunal and election appeals committee is that in election appeals committee, non-lawyers can be elected by the congress to seat over judicial matters and cause the kind of confusion we witnessed in their sitting.
“But in the arbitration tribunal, you have an all-lawyers affair,’’ he added.
• Cue out audio 1
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Igbokwe had on Dec. 10 through a correspondence given FIFA a three-day ultimatum to reverse its decision upholding the NFA election or risk court action.
FIFA in a letter addressed to Igbokwe dated Dec. 18, said it does not have jurisdiction to determine the outcome of the election and Igbokwe said justice was beginning to emerge.
• Cue in audio 2
“Last week, I wrote FIFA a letter regarding the petition I filed on Oct. 10 on the Warri elections.
“So, I am happy to inform Nigerians that I have a letter before me here from FIFA where they replied to the very serious issues I raised in my petition to them.
“The good thing about the FIFA letter is that once and for all it has stated clearly that FIFA does not have the jurisdiction on election matters in Nigeria.
“That a supposedly earlier letter written by FIFA on Dec. 8 claiming to have upheld the election of Amaju Pinnick and his NFA board is not true.
“FIFA has stated clearly in their letter sent to me on Dec. 18 that they lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter because it’s an internal affair.
“That it will be better handled by competent internal bodies of Nigeria football,’’ Igbokwe said.
• Cue out audio 2
According to Igbokwe, FIFA in its letter said it will abide by the decision of any competent body in the matter.
NAN reports that the FIFA letter obtained from Igbokwe was signed by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and copied to the NFA. (NAN)