Abuja- Leonard Igbokwe, a petitioners who appealed against the conduct of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Sept. 30 board election had given FIFA a three-day ultimatum to cancel the election or face legal action.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Igbokwe had sought the annulment of some of the elections conducted in Warri, Delta, especially that of NFA Chairman, Amaju Pinnick.
His request was granted by the Electoral Appeals Committee Chairman Okey Ajunwa, who annulled four of the elections citing breach of NFA Electoral Code.
The election of Pinnick as chairman of the NFA and that of his Vice Seyi Akinwunmi, as well as board members Felix Anyansi-Agwu and Rabiu Inua, were affected by the decision.
This was after members of the committee signed to uphold the election in its entirety which FIFA endorsed ahead of the Chairman’s 80-page report that annulled some of the elections.
A letter addressed to FIFA and made available to newsmen on Tuesday by Igbokwe, described FIFA’s endorsement of the committee’s report as a “great shock’’.
He said in the letter that FIFA was made to believe that majority of the committee members signed to uphold the election.
“FIFA gave the reason for upholding the election results in Warri based on a supposed majority decision of the NFA Electoral Appeals Committee which is not true.
“The football governing body was made to believe that the four persons that signed a press statement dated Dec. 3, upholding the election were right to sign the decision of the committee.
“Those that voted included one suspended member of the committee and two substitutes members who had no voting right,’’ the letter stated.
Igbokwe, therefore, said he would seek a legal redress if FIFA failed to rescind its decision upholding the election and order a bye-election as directed by the committee.
“I will be left with no option after the expiry of this deadline than to institute a civil action against FIFA in a court of law to seek requisite exemplary damages and adequate compensation.
“This is because I procured the election nomination form and paid the mandatory fees on the belief that the election will be conducted and guided strictly by the provisions of the NFA statutes,’’ Igbokwe stated in the letter.
NAN reports that the letter addressed to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, was copied to FIFA Director, National Federations, CAF President Issa Hayatou and the CAF Secretary-General as well as their counterparts at WAFU. (NAN)
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