Twist as appeal committee chair sacks NFF boss, Pinnick

Barely 24 hours after the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Electoral Appeals Committee upheld the 30 September polls that produced the Amaju Pinnick-led executive, the Chairman of the Committee, Okey Ajunwa, has nullified the same elections.

Ajunwa’s ruling which annulled the election of Amaju Pinnick and Seyi Akinwunmi as Chairman and Vice of the NFA board contradicts the ruling of three other members of the committee who upheld the polls on Wednesday.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Mr. Ajunwa said other committee members who “hastily” upheld the September polls are not legal practitioners and were ignorant of the law.

“None of them is a lawyer, I am the lawyer and I know the law, I have gathered the results of the committee and I will read them out in accordance with FIFA and CAF rules,” Mr. Ajunwa told journalist Thursday in Abuja.

He declared: “The election of Amaju Pinnick is hereby nullified and he is being banned from parading himself as the President of the Nigeria Football Federation.”

Ajunwa said his decision was based on the fact that the Electoral Committee for the election was illegally composed and that no FIFA observer was around during the election.

 Ajunwa who read the judgment contained in over 50 page document to newsmen in Abuja, ordered a bye-election to be conducted in Abuja within seven days.

According to the document the election of Felix Anyansi-Agwu and Rabiu Inua as members of the NFA board are also nullified citing violation of the electoral procedures.

The chairman said the disqualification of Shehu Dikko from the chairmanship race on the election day gave room for the annulment of Pinnick’s election, while that of his vice negated the federal character principle.

Ajunwa pointed out that the election of Anyansi-Agwu and Inua gave Kano and Abia undue advantage over other states having presented two members each on the NFA board.

He also said that the presence of Emeka Inyama (Abia) and Ahmed Kawu (Kano) on the board as League chairmen, respectively, and the emergence of Anyansi-Agwu and Inua negated the principle of slots among states.

The document read in part that: ``Bye election be conducted by the Electoral Committee of NFA as presently constituted within seven days from the date of this decision.

``This is to fill the positions of Chairman of NFA, Board Members representing the South East and North West Zones respectively.

``The bye election shall be held at Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, which is a neutral venue, to ensure fair play and fairness to all parties.

``The delegates to vote at the bye election shall be the same delegates that voted in the Sept. 30, 2014 election held in Warri, except for the representatives of the League Management Company

.

``That an invitation be sent forthwith by the General Secretary of NFA to FIFA, CAF and WAFU to ensure that they send representatives to observe the bye election.’’

According to Ajunwa, candidates cleared for the Aug. 26 and Sept. 30 elections held in Abuja and Warri, respectively, were eligible to contest the bye election for fairness.

The Committee chairman ordered the NFA to harmonise the list of persons in the Aug. 26 and Sept. 30 elections to ensure fair and equal treatment of contestants.

He noted that person seeking to participate and contest the bye election who had legal issues in court against the NFA in any court in Nigeria or outside should withdraw them to clear the way for them to contest the bye election.

NAN reports that the verdict by the committee’s chairman contradicted Wednesday’s ruling signed by five persons in the committee excluding the chairman.

Dokun Coker, who was suspended from the committee, Sani Mohammed and substitute members Victor Nwangwu and Bala Garba as well as committee’s secretary Mohammed Sanusi had on Wednesday upheld the Sept. 30 election.

He also ruled that the election was marred by violence and abuse.

He questioned why the poll was held in Delta State, the home of Mr. Pinnick, and said another contestant for the office, Shehu Dikko, was wrongly disqualified on election day.

Meanwhile, a statement issued on Thursday by Ademola Olajire, the Assistant Director, Communications of the NFA said the Ajunwa’s verdict was ``a mere minority report that is of no consequence’’ and therefore declared it null and void.