By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, sacked Davidson Owumi and declared the office of the Nigeria Premier league, NPL, and the position of chairman of chairmen vacant.

Presiding justice Gabriel Kolawole in a ruling he delivered on a suit instituted before him by Owumi, dismissed the action on the premise that it grossly lacked in merit.

The judge who declined to grant any of the five principal reliefs that were sought by the plaintiff, further okayed the decision of the sports arbitration tribunal panel that initially ousted Owumi from the contested position.

The trial judge maintained that the plaintiff, having failed to challenge the verdict of the panel, 30 days after it was made, lost his right of appeal and is therefore without the jurisdiction to approach the high court for any relief on the subject matter.

Consequently, the trial judge ordered fresh elections into the controversial offices not later than forty-five days from the judgment day.

Meanwhile, Owumi, yesterday, vowed to take the matter to the court of Appeal, contending that the trial judge erred in law by failing to take proper cognisance of all the proof of evidence adduced before him by all the parties in the suit.
It would be recalled that Owumi went to court with a view to setting aside the decision of the sports arbitration panel that ab-initio, voided his election into the post of chairman of chairmen of the Nigeria Premier league.

The panel had insisted that he was not qualified to have contested for the position in the fist place, considering that he was neither the chairman of any premier league side nor had he ever held such position before.