Nigerian Football Federation Suspends September Elections After Mass Resignations
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has suspended all processes leading to its planned elective congress and ordered the leadership of the country’s major domestic football leagues to hand over administrative control, as part of interim measures introduced following the resignation of the federation’s top officials amid a deepening crisis in Nigerian football.
The decisions followed the resignation on Thursday of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, and members of the federation’s Executive Committee. In the wake of the resignations, the National Sports Commission (NSC) moved swiftly to stabilise the federation’s administration, endorsing Emmanuel Ikpeme, who previously served as NFF Deputy General Secretary, to oversee the federation’s secretariat as interim General Secretary. The federation’s Director of Media and Communications, Ademola Olajire, was similarly appointed interim Deputy General Secretary.
Among the most significant of the interim measures, the NFF confirmed that all processes leading to its elective congress, originally scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, have been suspended. According to reports, the electoral process had already progressed to the candidate-screening stage, following the earlier sale and submission of nomination forms. The federation said a completely fresh electoral process would only commence once a set of comprehensive reforms to Nigerian football, currently being proposed, have been completed. Those reforms, according to the NFF, will be developed in consultation with FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the federal government and other key stakeholders in Nigerian football.
The suspension of the election followed weeks of controversy surrounding the credibility of the electoral process. Former Nigeria Premier Football League chairman Rumson Baribote had previously criticised the voting structure, arguing that it granted excessive influence to state football associations, while former international Harrison Jalla noted that the process had already become subject to ongoing litigation. Reports also indicated that the NSC had been seeking presidential approval to halt the election and establish a normalisation committee even before Thursday’s resignations took place.
In a further major shake-up, the NFF also directed the chairmen, appointed directors and chief executive officers of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) and Nationwide League One to hand over the administration of their respective competitions. Responsibility for running the leagues will temporarily transfer to each league’s Chief Operating Officer, provided the individual is an NFF staff member. Where a league’s existing Chief Operating Officer is not an NFF employee, the interim General Secretary has been empowered to appoint a replacement from within the federation.
According to the NFF, the measures are intended to ensure continuity in the administration of Nigerian football throughout the transition period, pending the conclusion of engagements with FIFA, CAF, the government and other stakeholders on a roadmap toward the broader reforms envisaged for the sport in the country. The federation added that further changes and directives would be communicated in due course.
The crisis engulfing the NFF had been building for some time, with mounting criticism of the federation’s leadership following a series of setbacks affecting Nigeria’s national football teams, which had earlier prompted the establishment of a fact-finding committee to examine the problems affecting the country’s teams. For now, the interim leadership under Ikpeme is expected to maintain the federation’s essential day-to-day operations, while the government and key figures within Nigerian football work toward a clearer path forward for the sport’s administration.
About the Author
