Right2Win FC Urges NFF To Dismiss Petition, Retain Aba As NLO South-East Play-off Venue
ABUJA – Right2Win FC has appealed to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to dismiss the petition filed by Ekomsy FC and Cynosure FC challenging the choice of Aba as the venue for the Nationwide League One (NLO) South-East Promotional Play-offs.
In a letter addressed to the NFF President, the club described the allegations contained in the petition as inaccurate and unsupported by the regulations guiding the competition, urging the federation to allow the play-offs to proceed as scheduled.
As part of its prayers to the football governing body, Right2Win FC asked the NFF to reject the petition, retain Aba as the host city, and ensure strict supervision of all matches to guarantee fairness for all participating teams.
The club specifically requested the NFF to dismiss the petition on the grounds that it contained factual inaccuracies and did not establish any breach of NLO regulations.
It also urged the federation to allow the promotional play-offs to go ahead in Aba to avoid unnecessary disruptions and additional costs to participating clubs and stakeholders.
Right2Win FC further appealed to the NFF to deploy adequate monitoring officers and match commissioners to oversee the fixtures involving Ekomsy FC, Cynosure FC, Jaguar FC and Right2Win FC, insisting that such measures would ensure a level playing field.
Defending the choice of Aba, the club maintained that there was no conflict of interest as alleged by the petitioners, stating that its ownership and management were entirely separate from those of Abia Comets FC and Enyimba International FC.
It explained that the selection of Enyimba International Stadium was based on its compliance with NFF and NLO standards, including security, medical facilities, accommodation and logistics, stressing that the venue would be under the control of the NLO Secretariat and NFF-appointed officials throughout the competition.
The club also argued that hosting play-offs in states where participating teams are based was not unprecedented, recalling that it previously competed in NLO centres in Anambra and Imo alongside clubs from those states.
According to Right2Win FC, there is no NFF or NLO regulation requiring promotional play-offs to be held outside the home state of any participating club, adding that similar competitions had previously been staged in cities such as Enugu, Awka and Umuahia.
The management reaffirmed its commitment to fair play and transparency, expressing confidence that promotion should be determined by performances on the pitch rather than administrative disputes.
“We remain committed to earning promotion on merit and to upholding the integrity of Nigerian football,” the club stated, expressing confidence that the NFF would base its decision on established facts and existing regulations.
“It is on record the petitioners have, in recent seasons, consistently relied on boardroom decisions and points awarded off the pitch to qualify for promotional stages, rather than securing qualification solely through results on the field of play.
“Right2Win FC earned it’s place through competitive results during the regular season. We therefore find it inconsistent for clubs with such history to now question the integrity of the process and venue when the play-offs will be decided exclusively by matches on the pitch.
“Dismiss the petition as it contains factual inaccuracies and is not supported by any breach of NLO regulations; allow the play-offs to proceed as scheduled in Aba in order to avert avoidable disruptions and costs to all stakeholders.
“Ensure strict NFF supervision of all matches to guarantee a level playing field for Ekomsy FC, Cynosure FC, Jaguar FC and Right2Win FC.”
