Court adjourns NPL sponsorship deal suit

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has deferred the legal suit of the title sponsorship rights for the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) until January 11 following a preliminary hearing on Friday morning.

Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court after listening to the submission of the lawyers of the plaintiff, Globacom Nigeria Limited and the defendant, the NPL or the Nigeria Football League (NFL) moved further hearing on the matter to January 11.

The case was adjourned to take place in 11 days after the lawyer representing the Premier League prayed the court to grant his client seven days to file an objection to Globacom's prayer.

The lawyer of the defendant also told the court that his client (NPL or NFL) received the summons on Thursday hence could not file an objection to the suit within the short notice.

But Globacom's lawyer added a fresh plea to the judge claiming that the NPL has been making moves to undermine the court process, which the Premier League legal representative denied. Globacom is seeking an injunction from the Federal High Court to restrain the NPL or NFL from awarding the title sponsorship rights to MTN.

The lawyer of the plaintiff also stated before Justice Idris on Friday that MTN did not take part in the bid process.

The plaintiff's major prayer from the court also includes slating the bid arrangement for failure to follow due process all through the bidding for the title sponsorship of Nigeria's topflight.

SuperSport.com learned that two of the co-defendants in the suit, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) or the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and the National Sports Commission (NSC), had no representatives in court.

The Nigerian FA, the sports commission and MTN are joined as co-defendants in the suit instituted by Globacom.

Globacom until Friday's court hearing was the NPL's title sponsor before MTN was award the rights by the Premier League in December 2010 following a N2.6 billion bid.

NPL also claims that Globacom still owes it about N935 million for last season's title sponsorship after allegedly pulled out of the deal about a year ago.