Court orders fresh NPL chairmanship poll

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed that fresh election be conducted for the chairman position of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL).

Justice Gabriel Kolawole in his judgement on Tuesday afternoon ordered that election should be held within 30 days or in the maximum of 45 days.

He added that the Premier League should also hold fresh election into the office of chairman of chairmen.

However, Justice Kolawole also ordered Davidson Owumi to vacate the positions of chairman and chairman of chairmen following the ruling that directed for fresh polls into both offices at the NPL.

The judge did not state whether Owumi would be eligible to contest the fresh election since that had been a bone of contention in the case.

On July 12, same court judge had told Owumi to continue in office as Premier League chairman pending the outcome of the case he filed.

The chairmanship of the NPL has been in dispute since its last election that saw Owumi beat Bayelsa United chairman, Victor Baribote Rumson.

In December 2010, the congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) threw out Owumi as NPL chairman in Uyo based on the report of an arbitration panel chaired by Professor Ibidapo-Obe.

But Owumi sought a court injunction restraining his removal from office as well as conducting fresh poll for same position without him.