NPL Bid Feud Persists

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered a halt to attempts to conduct fresh bid for the  title sponsorship rights of the Nigeria Premier League, NPL.

The order to maintain status quo in the matter was issued by the presiding judge of the Federal  Court, Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, on the Premier League board also addressed as the Nigeria  Football League, NFL in the suit, the sports minister Professor Taoheed Adedoja and the Nigeria  Football Federation, NFF also addressed as the Nigeria Football Association, all defendants in the  case.

The court ordered all parties in the matter to uphold status quo until the suit with No  FHC/L/CS/68/2011 filed by Total Promotions Limited is determined.

Total Promotions Limited, which represented MTN Nigeria in the bid process for the Premier League  title sponsorship rights, filed the case against the NPL, the NFF and the sports minister claiming  a breach of contract.

During the court proceeding yesterday, counsel to Total Promotions Limited, Bambo Adesanya, a  senior advocate of Nigeria (San), claimed that the defendants are masterminding plans to go ahead  with a fresh bid irrespective of the court suit.

Also, there was a drama in court, as two lawyers stood up to represent the Premier League and this  prompted Justice Murtala-Nyako to advise the defendants to sort out the issue of legal  representation before the next hearing on February 9.

SuperSport.com learned that the next sitting at the court will be the hearing of the preliminary  objection filed by the NPL and the NFF.

Total Promotions Limited’s suit against the NPL, the NFF and the sports minister comes after  Globacom Nigeria Limited had withdrew a suit challenging the award of the Premier League title  sponsorship to MTN claiming that due process was not followed in the whole exercise.