Governing Bodies
NIGERIA’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE BODY SCALES MAJOR LEGAL OBSTACLE
What could have thrown the Nigeria’s premier football league into major crisis was averted earlier in the week as a legal case that queried the legitimacy of the organizing body, the League Management Company (LMC), was dismissed in Benin.
According to ThisDay newspaper, Justice Demi Ajayi of the Federal High Court in Benin City, on Monday, 2019 affirmed that the incorporation of the LMC Limited was validly registered under the laws of Nigeria.
Delivering judgment in Suit No. FHC/B/CS/93/14 filed by veteran Journalist, Ben Lawrence in 2014, Hon. Justice Ajayi struck out the suit against the LMC and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) challenging the legality of the registration of the LMC which had been incorporated in 2013 for the participating football clubs of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The Court further declared that the plaintiff, Ben Lawrence, had no locus in the first instance to institute the suit against the incorporation of LMC under the companies law and, thus, was a busybody and an interloper.
Shehu Dikko, the Chairman of LMC while expressing satisfaction with the judgment, commended the Court for upholding the truth and justice in the matter.
He, also lamented the huge cost in time and other resources brought upon LMC by the suit which he described as “frivolous and totally baseless suit filed by the plaintiff and supported by those who desired merely to derail the well-ordered and legal administration of the apex football league in Nigeria”.
“They did this in the hope of ultimately profiting from the expected disorder”, lamented Dikko and recalled that the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, had similarly struck out an earlier suit filed in 2013 to also challenge the incorporation of LMC during the tenure of his predecessor in office, Nduka Irabor.
Also, Ifeanyi Egwasi of Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN & Co, representing the LMC, commended the Court for the judgment restating the legal status of LMC, which he said has never been in doubt whatsoever.
Counsel to the plaintiff, O.A.K Osinowo Esq, indicated his client’s intention to appeal against the judgment delivered against his client.
The five years legal battle had seen the parties fight their way up to the Court of Appeal and back again to the Federal High Court before final judgment was delivered on Monday.
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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