Pinnick is still president, says NFF lawyer, Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, solicitor to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), says Amaju Pinnick is still president of the federation.

In the statement released on Sunday, Keyamo dismissed reports that a Jos court had sacked Pinnick and installed Chris Giwa as president of the association.

“Our attention has been drawn to several media reports to the effect that the Federal High Court sitting in Jos sacked the Board of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) led by Mr. Amaju Pinnick and installed Mr. Chris Giwa as the new Chairman of the NFF,” read the statement.

“This is nothing but total and complete falsehood. We are constrained to issue this statement to set the records straight owing to the sensitive nature of football administration in Nigeria.

“For the purpose of clarity, at no time did the Honourable Court order the installation of one Chris Giwa as Chairman of the NFF as neither Chris Giwa nor Amaju Pinnick are parties to the present suit in Jos.

“It is therefore a distortion of the Order of the Honourable Court to assume that Chris Giwa was ordered to resume as the chairman of the NFF.

“The Supreme Court of Nigeria has held times without number that no court of law can issue an order against a person that is not a party in a suit before a court without joining or hearing from that party.

“And no court of law can also install a party in an office who is not before the Court praying for such an Order. The said Chris Giwa is not a party before the case at the Federal High Court and the Court ‘NEVER’ made an Order installing him as NFF president.

“It is like the bizarre case of the proxies of a loser in an election suing only INEC without joining the other victorious party in the case. How can a Court of Law or Tribunal remove the victorious Party from office without joining him or even making a positive order to that effect?

“It is simply a legal impossibility. What the so-called Chris Giwa is attempting to do is nothing but sheer brigandage and we shall be writing to all authorities concerned to arrest and prosecute him he dares to take the laws into his hands.

“The Minister of Sports is also advised not to aid this sheer madness. Whoever wants to remove Amaju Pinnick and members of the NFF board from office must approach the court to join them as parties and must seek clear and positive orders against each and every one of them.

“The public and all football lovers must ignore this storm in a tea cup. There is simply NO COURT ORDER removing anybody from office.”