Court of Arbitration rejects Giwa faction’s appeal

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected the request by some members of Chris Giwa’s group to restrain FIFA from sanctioning Nigeria pending the determination of their appeal.

Led by Obinna Ogbahe, the group of eight filed an appeal at the CAS to restrain FIFA from suspending the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in the event that persons claiming to be elected and occupying the offices of the NFF had failed to vacate their offices at the NFF secretariat by September 8, 2014.

The appellants, who are states FA chairmen, are Yahaya Adama (Kogi), Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi), Musa Talle (FCT), Effiong Johnson (Akwa Ibom), Chidi Ofor Okenwa (Enugu), Busari Ishola (Kwara), Mohhammed Saidu (Katsina) and Tijani Jubril.

CAS, on Tuesday, threw out their request, ruling that FIFA “noted that two cumulative conditions mentioned in the emergency committee’s decision dated September 3, 2014, had been complied with and that therefore the NFF would not be suspended. In light of the foregoing, the appellants’ request for provisional measures was rejected by CAS since it was without object at this stage.”

Below is the full CAS statement on the matter:

FOOTBALL: NIGERIAN FOOTBALL GOVERNANCE – REQUEST FOR PROVISIONAL MEASURES REJECTED

Lausanne, September 9, 2014 – On September 5, 2014 Yahaya Adama, Obinna Ogba, Musa Talle, Effiong Johnson, Chidi Ofor Okenwa, Busari Ishola, Mohhammed Saidu and Tijani Jubril (collectively, the appellants) filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the FIFA emergency committee’s decision of September 3, 2014 that it would suspend the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in the event that persons claiming to be elected and occupying the offices of the NFF had failed to vacate their offices at the NFF by September 8, 2014, 8.00am Swiss time.

Together with their statement of appeal, the appellants filed an urgent request for provisional measures by way of “[a]n Interim Order restraining the Respondent (FIFA) whether by themselves, their servants, agents, officers, directors, legal representatives and others whomsoever from suspending, excluding, removing, foreclosing and/or banning the Nigerian Football Federation or the Federal Republic of Nigeria from participation howsoever from international and or FIFA organized football events, pending the hearing and final determination of the Request for Arbitration dated 5 September 201 by CAS.

FIFA later noted that two cumulative conditions mentioned in the emergency committee’s decision dated September 3, 2014 had been complied with and that therefore the NFF would not be suspended. In light of the foregoing, the appellants’ request for provisional measures was rejected by CAS since it was without object at this stage.

Accordingly, the NFF is not suspended and the African Nations Cup qualifier match between South Africa and Nigeria scheduled to take place on September 10, 2014 is not affected.