NFF Election Reset: Fightback erupts as Congress, Electoral Committee dissolved
The planned September 27 elective congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has effectively collapsed, with the existing NFF Congress no longer standing as constituted and the temporary Electoral Committee overseeing the electoral process dissolved.
The development follows the sweeping leadership changes in the federation, including the resignation of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the Executive Committee on August 27.
In a letter of appreciation dated August 28, 2026 and signed by Acting General Secretary Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the NFF Secretariat formally acknowledged the termination of the electoral assignment of the temporary Electoral Committee following the suspension of the September 27 elective congress.
Ikpeme stated that the leadership departures had fundamentally altered the federation’s electoral arrangements and opened the door for reforms directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This means that even the Congress of Nigeria Football is no longer standing, as planned reforms towards a new Elective Congress will start with Local Council elections,” Ikpeme stated.
The statement represents the clearest indication yet that the next NFF election will not simply be a replacement poll to fill vacancies created by the resignation of the former leadership, but could instead follow a completely new electoral process.
Under the emerging arrangement, elections are expected to begin with Local Football Council elections, followed by State Football Association elections, before a new NFF Congress is constituted to elect the federation’s Executive Committee.
However, the development is already facing resistance from some members of the existing NFF Congress whose constitutionally recognised tenures have not expired.
The emerging opposition is reportedly centred on the argument that the dissolution or displacement of the existing Congress could conflict with provisions of the NFF Statutes governing the tenure and status of Congress delegates. Members affected by the proposed restructuring are therefore pushing back against any move that could prematurely terminate mandates they maintain are still valid.
The contention introduces a potentially significant legal and administrative dimension to the reform process, as stakeholders may now be forced to reconcile the proposed government-directed restructuring with the existing NFF Statutes and the rights of Congress members whose terms remain active.
Ikpeme described the resignation of the former leadership as having had an “impact of seismic proportions on Nigeria Football’s ecosystem,” adding that all processes geared towards the September 27 elective congress had consequently come to a halt.
“The departures have paved way for structural and other forms of reforms that have been directed by the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR,” he wrote.
The Acting General Secretary further disclosed that an interim administration had taken charge of the NFF Secretariat, pending consultations with FIFA and CAF over the next phase of the process.
“An interim administration has been put in charge of the NFF Secretariat, with a Normalization Committee to be instituted after consultations with world football-governing body, FIFA and the continent’s football-governing body, CAF in a few days,” Ikpeme stated.
The proposed Normalization Committee could therefore become central to resolving the competing positions, determining the reform roadmap and establishing how and when a new Congress and electoral process should emerge.
For the existing Congress members whose tenures are yet to expire, however, the proposed arrangement raises fundamental questions over whether their mandates can be extinguished through an administrative or reform process before their statutory terms run out.
The dissolution of the temporary Electoral Committee has, meanwhile, brought its immediate mandate to an end, as its assignment was tied to conducting the now-suspended September 27 elective congress.
Ikpeme thanked members of the committee for their commitment and sacrifice during the aborted electoral exercise, noting that many had put aside their businesses and other engagements to undertake the assignment.
“The sacrifice and service of yourself and other Members of the Committee to Nigeria Football will never be forgotten,” he said, while commending their “sincerity, assiduity and diligence” in carrying out their responsibilities.
The latest development means that candidates, delegates and other stakeholders who had been preparing for the September 27 election will have to await a fresh electoral roadmap.
More significantly, the proposed bottom-up electoral process could fundamentally alter the composition of the NFF Congress itself, with representatives emerging from Local Football Councils and State FAs potentially forming the electoral base for the next national federation leadership.
That possibility is likely to remain one of the most contentious aspects of the reform, particularly if existing Congress members insist on the protection of their unexpired mandates.
The situation therefore presents a delicate balancing act for the proposed reform process. While the Federal Government appears determined to pursue structural changes, the NFF will also have to contend with its existing statutes, the interests of current Congress members and the requirements of FIFA and CAF.
With the September 27 poll suspended, the temporary Electoral Committee dissolved and the status of the existing Congress now being challenged, Nigerian football has entered an uncertain electoral phase in which the battle may not only be over who leads the NFF, but who has the legitimate authority to constitute the Congress that will elect them.
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