• Says Wikki Tourist got same verdict
• Kwara pull-out attempt to affect 13 teams

Nigeria Premier League (NPL) former board member, Abdulrasaq Owolabi Wopa has pleaded with the egg-heads of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to have the banishment of Kwara United to Abuja reversed.

The Afonja Warriors ex-boss in a telephone chat with SportingLife Tuesday said: "The 3points and 3goals awarded Warri Wolves was in order and in accordance with the NPL rules, and that Kwara United has taken in good fate. But I feel it's too harsh a decision on the teams' part to be banished to Abuja till the season ends.

"I want to cite the case of the week 22 game involving Wikki Tourists and El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium, where a similar thing happened.

"We recall that the match official, Okobi S. N. from Edo State and his assistants were beaten black and blue at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium by irate fans, and the trio spent close to a week in the hospital.

"But in the O and D ruling, 3points 3 goals to El-Kanemi, Wikki Tourists fined the sum of two million Naira, the Buachi team were compelled to pay for all the medical expenses of the referees and to play its remaining home matches of the season in Abuja. Later the Appeals Committee stuck to the O & D decision but only lifted Wikki's ban from Abuja back to Bauchi and to now play under lock and key.

"So, if the Appeals Committee's verdict does not have a political undertone then the banishment should be reversed. Is it when Kwara United is playing a relegated threatened Wikki Tourists should the Committee order they host the Bauchi team at a neutral ground?"

"However, if truly Kwara United threaten to withdraw from the Globacom Premier League, this will bring back the bitter memories of last season where the Ocean Boys pulled out and some particular clubs who were supposed to win the title or play continental football were denied the chance as points were deducted from the affected that took points from the Brass side.

"Now 13 teams will be involved and you know what that means, it will give a different picture of the league when we look at the cases of Heartland, Sharks, Gombe United, Dolphins and the other seven clubs whom Kwara United took six, four and three points from and respectively lost the same number of points too."