NFF election process suspended, Ikpeme takes over as interim boss

The National Sports Commission has endorsed Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the erstwhile Deputy General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, as interim General Secretary of the federation following the resignation of President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the Executive Committee.

The development is part of sweeping interim measures announced by the NFF on Thursday as the Federal Government moves to overhaul the administration of Nigerian football.

In a statement published on its official website, the NFF said, “Following Thursday’s resignations of Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau as President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi as General Secretary, and members of the Executive Committee, the National Sports Commission has endorsed Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, until now Deputy General Secretary, to oversee the NFF Secretariat as interim General Secretary.”

The federation also announced the appointment of its Director of Media and Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire, as interim Deputy General Secretary.

The NFF stated, “Dr Ademola Olajire, until now Director of Media and Communications, will serve as interim Deputy General Secretary.”

The shake-up also effectively halts the electoral process that had been scheduled to produce a new NFF leadership next month.

“All processes initiated in preparation for the NFF Elective Congress scheduled for 27 September have also been suspended,” the federation said.

According to the NFF, the suspension is not intended to be permanent, as a new electoral process will be launched after the completion of comprehensive reforms.

“A fresh electoral process will commence following the completion of the anticipated comprehensive reforms, to be undertaken in consultation with world football’s governing body, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement said.

Leagues also affected

The changes extend beyond the NFF secretariat, with the federation directing the leadership of Nigeria’s four major domestic league bodies to hand over their administrative responsibilities to their chief operating officers.

The NFF said, “Furthermore, the Chairmen, appointed Directors and Chief Executive Officers of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League and Nationwide League One have been directed to hand over the administration of their respective leagues to their Chief Operating Officers, who are members of staff of the NFF.”

It added that where a league’s COO is not an NFF staff member, the acting General Secretary would appoint a new COO from within the federation.

The NFF explained that the measures were designed to maintain the running of football while the reform process takes shape.

“These interim measures are intended to ensure continuity in the administration of Nigerian Football during the transition and pending conclusion of engagements with FIFA, CAF, Government and stakeholders to design a roadmap towards the comprehensive reforms envisaged for Nigeria football, and the next steps for activation,” the statement said.

The federation added, “These measures are intended to ensure continuity in the administration of Nigerian football during the transition. Further changes and directives will be communicated in due course.”

Gusau, Sanusi exit amid football crisis

The announcement came a day after Gusau and Sanusi resigned from their positions, with members of the NFF Executive Committee also reportedly stepping down.

The NFF, in a separate statement announcing the mass resignations, said the development followed “a groundswell of national disenchantment over recent dismal performances of the National Teams.”

Gusau, who was elected NFF president at the federation’s Annual General Assembly in Benin City, Edo State, on September 30, 2022, resigned with 34 days remaining on his four-year tenure.

The former NFF president said his decision followed consultations with his family, friends and stakeholders in the football community and was taken in the “overriding interest of Nigerian football.”

He said his resignation was intended “to give way to a comprehensive and orderly reform process aimed at addressing the longstanding institutional, governance and developmental challenges confronting Nigerian football.”

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Why the NFF is being restructured

The leadership crisis followed a difficult period for Nigerian football.

As reported by The PUNCH, the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Super Falcons recently suffered the historic setback of failing to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Falcons had also been eliminated by Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Their subsequent 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the World Cup play-off ended Nigeria’s long-standing record of qualifying for every edition of the women’s World Cup.

The PUNCH had also reported that the NFF was facing scrutiny over its handling of a Federal Government intervention fund released in 2024, while a fact-finding committee report had raised allegations concerning the influence of board members and officials over national team invitations.

Against that backdrop, President Bola Tinubu directed a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football on Thursday.

In a statement published by the NFF, Tinubu said the reform must address “a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football.”

The President also said, “Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system.”

He directed the NSC chairman to work with the NFF Secretariat and football stakeholders to maintain essential administration while facilitating a broad reform process, including engagement with FIFA and CAF.

Election had already faced opposition

The decision to suspend the September election also follows weeks of controversy surrounding the proposed NFF Elective Congress.

The PUNCH reported on August 19 that uncertainty had surrounded the September 27 election, with stakeholders calling for reforms before the polls.

Former Nigeria Premier Football League chairman Rumson Baribote had questioned the credibility of the electoral process, arguing that the voting structure gave excessive advantage to state football associations.

Former international Harrison Jalla also told The PUNCH that the election process was already the subject of litigation, while reports at the time indicated that the National Sports Commission was seeking presidential approval to halt the election and establish a normalisation committee.

The proposed election itself had earlier been fixed for September 26 before being moved to September 27 to accommodate the Super Eagles’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Madagascar.

Who takes over?

Ikpeme, who was previously the NFF Deputy General Secretary, will now oversee the federation’s secretariat during the transition.

His appointment comes as the NSC begins the process of implementing the broader reforms ordered by the Federal Government.

The PUNCH reported on Friday that several names had emerged in discussions over who could eventually lead Nigerian football, including former Super Eagles captain Segun Odegbami, Remo Stars owner Kunle Soname, former NFF president Amaju Pinnick, former Chelsea technical director Mike Emenalo, former Super Eagles midfielder Seyi Olofinjana and former international Chikelue Iloenyosi.

However, those discussions now appear secondary to the immediate task of implementing the reform programme.

The NFF said the interim arrangements would remain in place pending the conclusion of engagements involving FIFA, CAF, the government and other stakeholders.

“For now, further changes and directives will be communicated in due course,” the federation said.