The League Management Company (LMC) has insisted that the body is legally situated both in football laws and regulations as well as Nigeria corporate laws while rejecting the statement by the federal government declaring it illegal.
It will be recalled that the federal government through the sports ministry declared the LMC who is the operator of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) illegal and directed the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to withdraw the operational licence given to the company immediately and set up an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to run the league.
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In a lengthy statement, the league organiser said “ The LMC Ltd wishes to call for calm from all its participating clubs, sponsors and partners and stakeholders as it will in conjunction with NFF be engaging the sports ministry to provide clarifications to ensure all parties are on the same page and keep acting within the realm of its authority.
The LMC insisted that “There is absolutely no court order or proceedings declaring the LMC as illegal. Likewise, there is no challenge in any court to the legal status of LMC”.
The statement further submitted that LMC Ltd was properly set up with the full engagement of the NFF and the participating NPFL clubs and in full compliance with the extant football laws and of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“Tracking the formation and registration of the company, it noted that, “For the avoidance of doubt, LMC Ltd was duly and properly formed in 2013 with all due processes adhered to and in line with both Football laws/regulations and Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Laws (Companies and Allied Matters, Act – CAC Act),” the statement said.
It went on to correct what it termed the erroneous impression that the LMC Ltd is a private body, stating, “The LMC LTD is not a private body as has been misrepresented but a not-for-profit company duly formed by the NFF and the participating NPFL clubs in accordance with their powers as enshrined in the extant NFF Statutes.
The LMC further expressed shock that the sports ministry did not see it desirable to engage the LMC/NFF to discuss whatever issues, concerns and information it may have so as to validate or disprove the information presented to it before reaching a conclusion.
