Nigeria Premier League (NPL) has described the purported walked-over conducted by match officials led by L.A. Adeyemi for Ocean Boys of Brass at Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, against Lobi Stars of Makurdi in their botched week 33 fixture as illegal, null and void.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND sports in Abuja, acting executive secretary of the league body, Tunji Babolalo, described the attitude of the match officials as unacceptable, stressing that they have no such right to conduct a walk-over against Lobi Stars and award their opponent, Ocean Boys, three points and three goals.
He stated that only the Organsing and Disciplinary (O and D) Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has power to decide on what to do in situation of match abandonment. “Nobody has a right to conduct walk-over for any team, not even the board has such powers.
In situations like this, the only thing match officials can do is to write on what happened and submit the report to the league body and we will forward it to O and D committee of the NFF for further action on the matter. Not for them on their own conduct walk-over for the home team and award them three points and three goals at the expense of the second team. What they did was illegal and unacceptable. So, for us, it is like nothing has happened yet and the match will be replayed because the said walk-over will reflect on the league table,” he said.
The match was supposed to be played behind closed doors as ordered by NFF’s disciplinary committee, but could not hold as Lobi Stars left Yenagoa for alleged threat to their life by one Akabuogu, who previously played for the Makurdi outfit three seasons ago. As the visiting team failed to show up, the match official led by L.A Odeyemi, the match commissioner from Osun State, Babatunde Obiseyan, centre referee from Oyo State, Moses Adebanjo and Olayinka Olatunde, both from Lagos State, walked-over the visitors and awarded three points and three goals to Ocean Boys.
Tunji added that the matter is already before the O and D committee of the NFF and they are expected to come out with their decision soon. “There is no problem about the issue. The matter is already before O and D committee and they will take decision on it,” he said.?
