Lagos — Globacom has withdrawn the suit it filed against the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) which challenged the propriety of the award of Premier League sponsorship right to MTN. The notice of discontinuance was filed before Justice Mohamed Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos, and it was brought pursuant to Order 50 Rule 2(1) of the FHC Civil Procedure Rules, 2009.

Globacom had through its lawyer, Professor Abiodun Adesanya (SAN), filed the suit to challenge the award of the league sponsorship to MTN, claiming that NPL ignored the tenets of due process in the entire process.

Globacom sources revealed that the telecommunications company had to discontinue because of passionate plea by notable Nigerians. The company it was learnt felt that the league was already suffering untold hardship as a result of the suit. It stated that the withdrawal was in the interest of sports development in the country.

Globacom had in the suit pointed out that it was surprised when the bid announcement was made to the effect that MTN had won the title sponsorship rights, when it (MTN) did not participate in the bid process. Those listed in the suit as co-defendants apart from NPL and MTN, are the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) as co-defendants to the suit.

An affidavit deposed to by the Sponsorship Manager of Globacom, Harrison Iwuala, the plaintiff (Globacom) maintained that the suit was informed by the refusal of the NPL to strictly adhere to the principle of due process in the award of the sponsorship right, and that there were major discrepancies in the entire process.