NRA Elections: Court Sits October 18, 19
Nnaji says Galadima missed facts
From Juliana Taiwo in Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja would on October 18 and 19 begin hearing on suit filed by the National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Enugu State Chairman of Nigeria (Football) Referees Association (NRA) and a presidential aspirant of NRA, Barrister Raymond Nnaji against the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), former NRA President, Col. Joro Dogo Yabilsu, the NRA and the Minister of Sports and Social Development, Col Musa Mohammed (rtd) to court.
Also, Nnaji in his written response to the NFA Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima's remark to newsmen that the court never stopped the NRA elections, said though he agreed with Galadima he however insisted that the matter is still subjudice to the extent that all parties to the suit are expected to respect the court and avoid act capable of prejudicing the due trial of the case most especially, when the court warned the parties to desist from doing so.
"Because, whatever any party to the suit does amounts to a nullity, void and of no effect.
"With all due respect to Galadima, the interpretation given to the matter by him is not only wrong but unacceptable in law. That an Order is not given in a pending suit does not translate to legalizing any act done during the pendency of the suit by any of the parties. The law is that, whether an Order is given in a pending suit or not, all parties are supposed to maintain the Status Quo ante pending the determination of the matter. It is on this premise that the court in one of it's sittings warned the parties not to do any act that will prejudice the due trial of the case - the subject matter being the conduct of the NRA election before the determination of the case", he said.
Nnaji also lamented Galadima's denial of NFA's letter disassociating itself from the elections from the beginning whereas a press release date July 9, 2004 signed by the Public Relations Officer of the NFA and another was futher released on August 30, thereby reinforced the illegitimacy of the September elections.
The suit filed had stated that Yabilsu had shown 'manifest bias towards one of the then contestants for the post of President (Dr. Sam Sam Jaja) and that the NFA which has been empowered to oversee the conduct of a free and fair election into the national office has refused and neglected to act even when Nnaji had complained of the bias and partisanship of the Yabilsu-led NRA executive'.
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