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A Federal High
Court in Lagos has ordered that the fresh bid process, for league
sponsorship rights, being planned by the Nigeria Premier League (NPL)
be put on hold; pending the determination of the suit brought before it
by Total Promotions Limited. Total Promotions Limited represented MTN
in the bidding process for the NPL title rights.

The presiding
Justice, Binta Muritala Nyako, ordered all parties to maintain the
status quo as she adjourned hearing on the suit till Wednesday,
February 9.

At the court on
Monday, two different counsels claimed that they were in court to
represent the NPL with no clear decision on whom the lead counsel was.
The judge thus advised the defendants to sort out the issue of legal
representation before the next hearing on February 9.

One of the
counsels, Emmanuel Oboh said he was the right counsel to the NPL and
that he had the consent of the NPL board to represent it. Mr Oboh also
said he has been representing the NPL past four years.

“The Nigeria
Football Federation only wanted to slow down the process by bringing in
another lawyer under the guise that the NPL was their product, there is
nothing to discuss I am the NPL’s counsel,” he argued.

The congress decision

The congress of the
NPL had on Wednesday, January 26 ruled that the previous bidding
exercise which saw Total Promotions win the rights for MTN was not
transparent enough hence it was invalidated and stated that a fresh bid
be conducted within two weeks.

However, Niyi
Alonge Total Promotions boss had maintained that the congress was wrong
in its decision as the agreement it signed with the NPL did not allow
for a unilateral cancellation of the contract.

Though Alonge is
contesting the decision to withdraw the sponsorship right, he has been
invited by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) alongside
some former and current NPL officials to clarify issues concerning the
league broadcast rights deal Total Promotions had earlier secured.

It has been alleged
that the television rights for the NPL were sold for a total of three
billion naira (over $20 million) between 2006 and 2010 to a South
African company, but only about 436 million naira or about $3 million
was received by the league in all these years.

Aside Alonge, others invited by the EFCC are former league boss, Oyuiki Obaseki; the current NPL chairman,

Davidson Owumi; former executive secretary, Al-Hassan Yakmut; NPL vice-chairman Shehu Gusau and Joe Amene.

They are to report at the Abuja office of the anti graft body on February 10, Femi Babafemi the EFCC spokesperson said.