NPL Nullifies MTN’s Sponsorship Right

An Extraordinary Congress of the Nigeria Premier League on Wednesday voted to reverse the decision of its executive committee to award the title sponsorship of the League to telecommunications company MTN.

At its last meeting, the Congress not only commended the board on the process leading to the award of the rights, but also wholeheartedly approved of the decision.

But in a total about-turn, a communiqué after the meeting on Wednesday, the Congress which claimed that “though the Board of the NPL did its utmost best to ensure the selection of a credible Title Sponsor for the League, it frowned at the third party involvement in the whole exercise”.

Consequently, the entire bid process was ‘invalidated’.

The congress further declared that: “In the interest of justice, equity and fair play, machinery should be put in place for the conduct of a fresh bidding process for the selection within two weeks.”

The executive committee was also directed to constitute a new bidding committee.

Last month, the board awarded the rights to MTN, but previous sponsor Glo, who lost out in the bidding, challenged the process, and took the case to court.