Court dismissed lawsuit against Plateau football association 6 years after

Daniel Dauda, Jos

The High Court sitting in Jos Division, has on Monday put nail in a coffin over legal tussle ravaging Plateau Football Association (PFA) which is pending for almost 6 years.

Recall, 10 Local governments chairmen football association in Plateau (Claimants) had on 24th February, 2017 institutes a lawsuit challenging the eligibility of Hon.Sunday Longbap alongside 8 others as chairman and executive members of PFA.

The long standing legal battle truncated smooth runing  of the association in the state.

Delivering his verdict, Justice Arum Ashoms dismissed the claimants application for lack in merit.

According to the presiding judge, Ashoms, ” the claimants abandoned their plea taking into cognizant the statement of  claims tendered before the court. They failed to provide sufficient evidence to back their burden of proof…… ”

Speaking to newsmen after the judgment, counsel to the 10th Defendants, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Damon Dashe Esq said this is not about celebrating the victory of the case but celebrating the justices of the case.

“Most importantly, we should learned as football stakeholders to take advantage of the provisions of the statutory which provides for internal and remedial mechanism within the statutory so that we avoid this unnecessary thideous litigations that at the end of the day  does not help football yo grow.

” This judgment now has gave the board am ample opportunity to discharge their responsibility without any fear of intimidation or thinking of any litigation in court.”

Also bearing his mind on the outcome of the judgment, Paul Daniel Esq, counsel for the 9 PFA Defendants, revealed that the legal tussle really affected the smooth running of football matters on the Plateau.

“You know there was a time in the course of these case the terms of 1st to 9th Defendants expired. Their even set enrolling mechanism so that to have new set of executive members but because of this case and because of the board of the court, keeping everything the way it is until the final determination of the case.

” so, it has affected the coming of the new EXCOs. And of course, you know the reason for changing new EXCOs in the first place is to bring new blood, new thought and new ideas.

“Nevertheless, it is a good signed that good things are coming and were going to advised the 1st to 9th defendants to set a motion for the election of new executive members. I am so elated that this since 2017 is now over…

Meanwhile, counsel for the 10th claimants, Abubakar Mu’azu Esq opins that even though the claimants are challenging the election of the 9 Defendants, led by Sunday Longbap caretaker chairman of PFA.

In his words, ” we came to challenged the victory of election on the ground that claimants were the Local governments chairmen football association, and they supposed to be delegates in that election but they were substituted unlawful.

“So we brought the NFF (10th Defendants) to complained the process of that election but there was no response that is what made us came to court.

” But after the court process and proceedings which took us about 6 years, today the court has delivered nits judgment. We will get the copy of the judgment and study it to see how we can advised our client appropriately “, Mu’azu stated.