Pinnick talks tough, says Statutes violators could face outright ban – Sporting Life

Outgoing Nigeria Football Association president and FIFA Council member Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick warned over the weekend that irremediable violations of FIFA-approved NFF statutes risk multiple sanctions that could include an outright ban on participation, but not beyond must be limited the beautiful game.

Pinnick, who is also a member of the CAF Executive Committee, made the statement amid further threats from certain forces within the football ecosystem to take Nigeria Football to court for nothing more than peacefully conducting the 77th Annual General Assembly Thursday in Lagos.

“I want to say that enough is enough. We have tolerated these individuals far longer than necessary. I will be stepping down from the position of NFF President in a few weeks but I am still a member of the FIFA Council and can speak anywhere about Nigerian football. It’s time to expose these people’s bluff. Their actions not only slander and defame the NFF; these also de-market the NFF to a certain extent.

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“When the NFF holds a general meeting, they go to court. If the NFF doesn’t hold up, they go to court. Every day they want to go to court. It’s their right, but it’s also the NFF’s right to curb such excesses. FIFA states clearly that football matters are not for civil courts and further violations would be subject to the harshest sanctions by anyone, including but not limited to a total ban on the game.”

Article 69 (1) of the NFF Statutes 2010 states: “The NFF, its members, players, officials and match agents and players’ agents shall not bring any dispute before the ordinary courts, unless expressly stated in these Statutes and FIFA regulations intended. Any disagreements will be submitted to the jurisdiction of FIFA, CAF, WAFU or NFF.

(2) NFF is responsible for domestic disputes, ie disputes between parties belonging to NFF. FIFA has jurisdiction over international disputes, ie disputes between parties belonging to different associations and/or confederations.”

It is recalled that the 77th NFF Annual General Meeting was delayed by eight months because some individuals went to court to seek an injunction preventing the event from being held on December 17, 2021 as scheduled.