NFF election faces challenges as stakeholders raise concerns

Uncertainty is growing over the Nigeria Football Federation’s planned election on September 27. Stakeholders are opposing the process and calling for reforms before the polls, The PUNCH reports.

NFF president Ibrahim Gusau was elected during the federation’s congress in Benin City in September 2022. He is now seeking a second term amid increasing criticism of his leadership.

The Super Eagles did not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Super Falcons also failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. These failures have led many stakeholders to demand changes in the federation.

Former Nigeria Premier Football League chairman Rumson Baribote questioned the fairness of the current election process. He believes the voting system gives too much power to state football associations compared to other groups.

“The NFF election cannot stand because there is a matter before the court. If you have not resolved the issues around the election in 2022, will you be talking about another election? Those amendments need to be addressed,” Baribote told The PUNCH.

He added, “The best bet is either the NSC writes to FIFA, and even if they don’t write, we have to find a way to make those amendments.”

Baribote also pointed out that state football associations have offices in all 36 states and the FCT. He said the referees’ association, players’ representatives, coaches, and other groups also have representatives in the states.

“So why are they making the FAs superior to others? The best bet is to give all the federating units an equal number of votes,” he said.

Harrison Jalla, a former international and Chairman of the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reforms Initiative, is also calling for government intervention. He noted that the election process is currently in the courts.

“The election is already sub judice before the Court of Appeal in Suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/1120/2026 and the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1755/2026, with demands for reforms and the enforcement of pending court judgments,” Jalla said in a statement.

He criticized the State Football Association chairmen, saying, “The group that hijacked Nigerian football since 2008 has shown clearly over the years that they lack the capacity to move Nigerian football forward.”

“Who would participate in an election that is predetermined? It is only the beneficiaries of such a skewed process,” he added.

Jalla urged the Federal Government and relevant agencies to act quickly to address the crisis. He warned that failure to do so could lead to chaos as stakeholders seek their own solutions.

Meanwhile, reports say the National Sports Commission is asking President Bola Tinubu for approval to stop the election. They want to set up a normalisation committee to oversee reforms in the federation.

However, a member of the Gusau-led NFF board dismissed claims that the election had been cancelled. They insisted that the election process is still on track.

“It is all rumours, there is nothing like that and there is no such thing as a threat of FIFA ban. The person heading the NSC, Shehu Dikko, knows the statutes very well, so I believe he will only take steps in accordance with the rules guiding us,” the board member said.