Nigerian Football Crisis Deepens: NFF Elections Halted, Leadership Ordered Out

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has implemented significant changes within the administration of Nigerian football, announcing the immediate suspension of all processes leading to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Elective Congress. This congress was originally scheduled to take place on September 27. Additionally, the NSC has issued directives for the chairmen, appointed directors, and chief executive officers of the country’s major domestic leagues to promptly hand over their responsibilities.

These sweeping measures by the NSC come in the wake of the recent resignations of key NFF officials, including President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, and other members of the federation’s Executive Committee. The actions are part of a broader effort to introduce comprehensive reforms within Nigerian football.

In a statement released by Dr Ademola Olajire, who previously served as the NFF Director of Media and Communications and has now been appointed interim Deputy General Secretary, the NSC endorsed Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme to assume the role of interim General Secretary. Dr Ikpeme was formerly the Deputy General Secretary of the NFF. Dr Olajire’s appointment as interim Deputy General Secretary was also confirmed in the same statement.

The electoral process for the September 27 NFF Elective Congress has been entirely halted. The NSC has stated that a fresh electoral process will be initiated only after the successful completion of what it describes as comprehensive reforms for Nigerian football. These critical reforms, according to the statement, are planned to be undertaken in close consultation with the world football governing body, FIFA, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), ensuring international alignment and best practices.

Further directives from the commission include an order for the chairmen, appointed directors, and CEOs of various leagues—specifically the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League, and Nationwide League One—to hand over the administration of their respective leagues to their Chief Operating Officers (COOs). To ensure operational continuity, the acting General Secretary has been granted the authority to deploy new COOs from within the federation’s staff where existing COOs are not officially NFF personnel.

These interim measures signify a major shake-up within the highest levels of Nigerian football administration. Their primary objective is to ensure stability and continuity during this transitional period. Dr Olajire confirmed that further engagements are planned with FIFA, CAF, the Federal Government, and other relevant stakeholders. These discussions aim to develop a clear roadmap for the proposed comprehensive reforms and to determine the subsequent steps in this transformation process. The statement reiterated that “These interim measures are intended to ensure continuity in the administration of Nigerian football during the transition,” and that any further changes and directives would be communicated in due course.