The Counsel for Chris Giwa, an NFF factional President, Barrister Ardzard Habilla, has said FIFA cannot ban Nigeria over the lingering leadership crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
FIFA had on Tuesday threatened to suspend Nigeria and Ghana football federations over government interference.
“In line with art. 16 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, the Bureau of the FIFA Council decided that if by Monday, 20 August 2018, at 12:00 (CET), the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, who was duly elected on 30 September 2014, the NFF will be suspended with immediate effect for contravening art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19, as well as art. 14 par. 1 a) of the FIFA Statutes,” a FIFA statement warned.
Habilla said this in Abuja on Thursday while addressing newsmen on the threat by FIFA to suspend Nigeria from all football activities.
“Do we take it that FIFA laws are superior to the judgment of the highest court in our land — the Supreme Court, and has FIFA elevated itself before the constitution of Nigeria?,” Habilla said.
“When we went to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, it said the issue before it was not the validity of the election, and that it was the domestic law of Nigeria that should determine the validity of an election or elections.
“FIFA is bound by the decision of CAS and that is why the Giwa board went to court to determine the validity of those elections.
“So, if CAS gave this judgment that domestic laws of a country should determine the validity of its elections, why should FIFA threaten Nigeria, when this is the decision of CAS and FIFA is bound by the decision of CAS?
“If FIFA is aggrieved with the decision of CAS, it has the right to go to the Swiss court to seek judicial review, so, FIFA cannot continue to play double standards.
“As we speak, FIFA has never for one day heard from Giwa on this matter rather it prefers to go by the tactics of the Pinnick board.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Sport, Solomon Dalung has denied reports that acting President, Yemi Osinbajo has ‘stamped’ the Amaju Pinnick NFF board following FIFA’s threat to suspend Nigeria from its activities on Monday.
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