A federal high court in Lagos will today resume hearing in the contempt charge filed against some officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for allegedly conducting elections into the association’s board in defiance of orders of the court.

Justice Okon Abang annulled the said elections in a ruling on September 6. The case was adjourned for the hearing of the contempt charge filed by the Registered Trustees of the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) against the NFF, its electoral committee and its Legal Adviser, A. U. Mustapha.

NANF had sued NFF, its Acting President, Aminu Maigari, chairman of the Nigerian Premier League (NPL) Board, Davidson Owumi, the Minister of Sports, Isa Bio, Director General of Sports in the Federal Sports Ministry, Patrick Ekeji and NFF’s Electoral Committee Chairman, A.U Mustapha over the said election.

Justice Abang,  while justifying his decision to hear the contempt proceedings before the applications challenging his jurisdiction and that seeking the vacation of the August 20 order, held that

“Where the issue of jurisdiction collides with that of contempt of court, that of contempt must first be heard. It is also immaterial whether there is an application for the vacation of the order earlier made. The order subsists until it is set aside.

“The purpose of taking the contempt proceedings first is to demonstrate to the public that a court must protect its dignity and prevent it  from being diminished,” he held.