The lingering Nigeria Premier League (NPL) board election crisis has taken a new dimension as the Chairman of Bayelsa United, Chief Victor Rumson Baribote, has taken his case to world soccer governing body, FIFA.

FIFA boss

Baribote said yesterday that his lawyers have written the world soccer governing body urging it to  intervene in the interest of the game. He further disclosed that  he has equally written a protest letter to the minister of sports and the director general of the National Sports Commission (NSC) urging them to prevail on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to do the right thing.

“As a thorough breed football person, I don’t want to do anything that will bring the game to disrepute. That is why I am following due process in fighting for justice. Unfortunately, it appears those in charge of sports in the country want the illegalities that took place in the NPL elections to stand.

The NFF should enforce the decision of the Professor Ibidapo Obe arbitration tribunal which annulled the election of Davidson Owumi. The NFF board met and ratified that decision. So, for the same board to set up a three man review committee is totally unacceptable. If football rules are to be followed, the NFF can not wake up to review a case that has been handled by an arbitration tribunal. The minister and the DG of the National Sports Commission (NSC) should not keep quiet over this.” Baribote stated.
The NFF last week set up a three-man committee headed by first vice chairman, Chief Obinna Ogba ,to review the NPL election logjam.

The move come as a surprise to followers of the game in the country as that amounts to jettisoning the rules.

Enugu based lawyer cum football administrator Barrister Iyke Igbokwe had last week faulted  NFF’s decision to review the matter declaring that the new leadership of the soccer federation can not dump the relevant football rules in resolving the crisis.

“What the rules say is that an independent arbitration tribunal should be set up if there is a protest arising from the elections. That is what the NFF did in constituting the Ibidapo Obe tribunal.

For the same board to now say it is reviewing the case is nothing but a charade,” Igbokwe stated.