Breaking: Court Moves Against NFF Leadership, Orders Response In 2022 Election Challenge

The case, marked FHC/YNG/CS/70/2026, was filed by former Super Eagles player Awala Jumbo and lawyer Tekena Ediyekio. Presiding judge, Justice Ayo Emmanuel, issued the order on Wednesday after declining to entertain an ex parte application submitted by the plaintiffs.

Although none of the parties was present during the brief session, the applicants’ counsel, Rumson Baribote, informed the court of a pending ex parte motion dated March 13, 2026, and sought permission to move it. However, the court rejected the request, ruling that the defendants must first be formally notified.

Justice Emmanuel subsequently ordered that hearing notices be served on the defendants and adjourned the matter to March 31, 2026, for further proceedings.

In their originating summons, the plaintiffs are asking the court to nullify the September 30, 2022 election that produced the current NFF leadership and to restrain the board from continuing to manage Nigerian football.

They also want the court to determine whether the Gusau-led board can still function as the legitimate leadership in light of a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on January 19, 2024.

Additionally, the plaintiffs are seeking clarification on whether the court can enforce the appellate court’s ruling under Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution by preventing the defendants from relying on the disputed election.

They further questioned whether the continued stay in office of the NFF leadership—including plans to hold a congress on March 23, 2026—amounts to contempt of court.

Among the reliefs sought are a declaration affirming the court’s authority to enforce the appellate decision and an order establishing an interim management board with equal representation from all federating units.

In a supporting affidavit, Ediyekio stated that the suit was filed with full consent and knowledge of the facts. He referenced an earlier ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja on September 15, 2022, delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, which directed all parties to maintain the status quo and restrained the conduct of the NFF election.

He explained that although the defendants initially obtained a temporary stay of that order, the Court of Appeal later struck out the appeal on January 19, 2024, effectively restoring the original directive.

According to him, this means there is no valid legal basis for the defendants to claim that the status quo order was ever lawfully set aside.

Ediyekio argued that the September 30, 2022 election was conducted in clear violation of a subsisting court order and is therefore null and void from the outset.

He accused the NFF leadership of continuing to operate without legal backing despite the appellate ruling, noting that they have engaged with international football bodies, organised congresses, and made appointments without proper authority.

He also cited the planned congress in Yenagoa as further evidence of what he described as ongoing contempt of court.

Ediyekio warned that the situation has created uncertainty in the governance of football in Nigeria, causing significant harm to the sport’s development. He added that it undermines the rule of law, good governance, and constitutional supremacy.

The dispute originated from an earlier case in Abuja, where the court had barred the conduct of NFF elections pending the outcome of the suit. The plaintiffs maintain that despite this order, the federation proceeded with the election and has continued to act in defiance of existing court rulings.