Gusau, Sanusi, Amaju, Others to Appear Before Federal High Court for Allegedly Disobeying Court Order
By Abdulgafar Oladimeji
The Federal High court sitting in FCT Abuja has ordered officers of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF to appear before it to respond to allegations of allegedly committing contempt of court.
The court presided by Honourable Justice M G. Umar also ordered the immediate past NFF president, Amaju Pinnick and the officials of the federal ministry of youth and sports to appear before the court to respond to why valid committal proceedings for contempt of court should not proceed against them.
According to court documents obtained by our reporter, one Harrison Jalla , chief Victor Rumson Baribote, Austin Popo and National Association of Nigerian Footballers, NANF in suit No FHC/ABJ//C5/1376/2021 informed the court that the respondents have acted in contempt of an order of court.
The claimants made the claims in an Motion Exparte dated 2nd February 2026, filed on February 3rd, 2026.
The court read the affidavit filed at the court registry in support of the application, deposed by one Fegenegigha Jacob, Esq, male , adult of Block 12, flat 9 Shendam Close, Area 11, FCT Abuja.
The claimants also prayed for an order of the court restraining NFF from convening Congress, General Assembly or Extra Ordinary Congress or Meeting scheduled for February 14 or any other date.
The claimants through their counsel , Wilfred E. Onabe also prayed for the Leave of the court for all court processes to be served on the respondents through substituted service.
In his ruling dated February 9, 2026, Honourable Justice M G. Umar granted the Leave of court, for substituted service to be made on the Nigeria Football Association, trading in the name of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF located at Sunday Dankaro House, National stadium Package B and the NFF to be served with Form 49, alongside all other court processes connected to the matter.
The court ordered that , NFF officers , Amaju and the national sports governing body in Nigeria should be served with the Ex -Parte application, adding that they should appear before the court on 17th February, 2026 to explain why the Ex -Parte application should not be granted against them on the next adjourned date.
Our correspondent reports that , through process sever all court processes have been pasted at the main entrance to Sunday Dankaro House Located at Package B, national stadium, FCT Abuja, in compliance with the order of the court.
It would be recalled that, the current dispute had arisen , when Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja in his order had then ordered the Nigerian Football Federation to stop its election then scheduled to hold on September 30, 2022 in Benin City, Edo State.
The court had then ordered all the parties involved in the NFF election to maintain status quo and had adjourned further proceedings to October 31.
The claimants in the matter , Harrison Jalla, Victor Baribote, Austin Popo and PFAN told the court that the NFF was about to conduct the elections under circumstances that they described as unequal representation of statutory bodies that constitutes the NFF in respect to voting rights and representation on the NFF Board.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) elections were alleged to have been held despite the Federal High Court order citing an Appeal Court ruling that has granted the NFF an stay of execution on the initial injunction given on September 15, 2022, by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which had issued an ex parte order to stop the election that culminate to the emergence of Ibrahim Gusau as NFF President.
The NFF on September 29, 2022, said the Court of Appeal in Abuja had ordered an stay of execution of the High Court’s injunction, allegedly making way for the conduct of its Elective Congress on September 30, 2022, where Ibrahim Musa Gusau was elected as the new NFF president.
It is on record that the claimants had served NFF officials with a “Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order” (Form 48), warning NFF that they would be held in contempt of court if they proceeded with the election.
The claimants now told the court that NFF had then acted in alleged violations to the injunction of the federal high court and have now requested for form 49 to be served on NFF and others to show cause why they should not be punished for contempt of court.
The case is adjourned to 17 February, 2026 , for hearing .
