NSC halts NFF election, names Ikpeme, others in interim capacity
The National Sports Commission has frozen the NFF’s planned election and installed an interim administrative team as Nigeria prepares for sweeping football reforms.
Nigeria’s football administration has entered a new phase after the National Sports Commission (NSC) suspended preparations for the Nigeria Football Federation’s September elective congress and installed an interim leadership following a major leadership shake-up at the federation.
The decision came after NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau, general secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the Executive Committee resigned on Thursday, creating a vacuum at the Glass House.
Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, who previously served as deputy general secretary, has been endorsed to oversee the NFF secretariat as interim general secretary, while former media and communications director Ademola Olajire has been appointed interim deputy general secretary.
The NSC has also ordered officials overseeing Nigeria’s major domestic leagues to hand over administrative responsibilities to their chief operating officers, signalling a broader restructuring of the game.
The September 27 elective congress, which had been expected to usher in a new NFF leadership, will now not proceed as scheduled.
Instead, the authorities plan to undertake comprehensive reforms before launching a fresh electoral process in consultation with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The development follows mounting concerns over the management and performance of Nigerian football, including the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and the Super Falcons’ unprecedented failure to reach the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The latest measures therefore represent more than a change of personnel, with the government seeking to use the leadership vacuum to address wider structural and administrative issues within Nigerian football before a new electoral process begins.
