By Tony Ubani, Patrick Omorodion, Jacob Ajom, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Emma Jemegah
President Bola Tinubu has directed a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football to overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments, following the resignation of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau as president of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
Read Also: NFF Crisis: Tinubu orders comprehensive reform of Nigerian Football
Vanguard had exclusively reported on Thursday, of the resignation the NFF board. Read it HERE.
President Tinubu said: “The reform must respond to a long-standing need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football.”
The President noted that while other sports had recorded meaningful progress since reset of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission, football has continued to struggle because of structural weaknesses within the system.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He stressed that Nigerian football must begin to match the country’s exceptional talent, passion and resources with stronger institutions and sustained performance.
President Tinubu directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration and facilitate a broad, consultative reform process.
The process will include appropriate engagement with Federation of International Football Associations, FIFA, and Confederation of African Football, CAF, while safeguarding Nigeria’s obligations within the international football framework.
The President called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work together to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.
Gusau officially announced his resignation at a press conference in Abuja yesterday.
Meanwhile former coach of Enyimba International of Aba, Kadiri Ikhana has called for the prosecution of Alhaji Gusau and his board members just as former Green Eagles star, Chief Felix Owolabi lamented the destruction of Nigeria’s football under the former board.
Their teammate and former captain, Chief Segun Odegbami who was in the forefront of those calling for the resignation of Gusau said his resignation now provides the opportunity for Nigeria to clean up the rot at the NFF, while former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, who equally served as one time Chairman, Sokoto State Football Association, Dr. Danladi Bako, warned that those who served with Gusau must not be recycled.
Shockingly, the search for who heads the Normalisation Committee to steer the NFF before a new election is conducted has however, split the leadership of the supervisory body, the National Sports Commission, it was also gathered.
I stepped down for love of country — Gusau
“After consultation with family, friends and stakeholders, I just want to tell you that I have decided to resign from my position,” Gusau said while briefing the media yesterday.
“As Nigerians, nobody is greater than this country. We all love our country and its progress. And as people who have been in football and managing football, we need to look at ourselves and ask, ‘What next?’ So we made a lot of consultations.”
Gusau added that he also advised members of the NFF board to follow his footsteps, clarifying however, that he cannot say whether they would heed his advice but Vanguard gathered that the entire board has resigned.
A few minutes after Gusau’s announcement, the NFF said on its X page that Dr. Mohammed Sanusi had also stepped down as the federation’s General Secretary.
The mass resignation comes a few weeks after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition’s inception in 1991 and this disappointment triggered backlash for the NFF board members.
Vanguard understands that the NFF leadership was pressured to step down after intervention from top brass of the federal government, from the National Sports Commission, NSC, to the presidency.
Gusau was elected NFF president in 2022 and his tenure was supposed to end next month, with an elective congress scheduled for September 27.
The fate of the congress is uncertain as a Normalisation Committee will be set up to oversee the federation’s affairs until further notice.
Under Gusau’s leadership, the Super Eagles, like the Falcons, also failed to qualify for the men’s 2026 World Cup, despite Africa getting 10 slots for the first time. The failure also extended to age-grade football, with the men’s U-17 and U-20 teams missing out on their World Cups.
My scorecard
Reflecting on his tenure, Gusau said: “These three years and 11 months did not just come like that. At least, we have something that we can tell Nigerians and the world that we have achieved for the little opportunity we had during this period.”
Gusau highlighted the revival of coaching education as one of the major achievements of his administration. He said all categories of coaching courses had been conducted, with the long-delayed CAF A Licence course scheduled to commence on September 16.
He also pointed to improved stability in the domestic leagues, particularly the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, saying his administration had restored greater certainty to the football calendar and made the competition more organised and competitive.
On refereeing, Gusau said Nigerian officials had regained prominence in continental competitions, citing the selection of Nigerian referees for semi-final matches at the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
He further disclosed that the NFF’s facility project, initiated in March 2024, was progressing as scheduled, with one phase already completed and the entire project expected to be delivered by March next year.
His resignation now leaves Nigerian football facing a fresh leadership transition, with attention expected to shift to the NFF’s statutory succession process and the future of the remaining members of the Executive Committee.
A few minutes after Gusau’s announcement, the NFF said on its X page that Dr. Sanusi had also stepped down as the federation’s General Secretary.
Gusau was elected NFF president in 2022, and his tenure was supposed to end next month, with an elective congress scheduled for September 27.
The fate of the congress is uncertain as reports claim that a normalisation committee will be set up to oversee the federation’s affairs until further notice.
General Secretary also quits
Meanwhile, NFF General Secretary Dr. Sanusi, has confirmed that he has resigned, amid a major leadership shake-up at the country’s football governing body.
Sanusi’s resignation was confirmed, yesterday, by the former NFF chief scribe himself, according to reports. He reportedly stated that the resignation of both himself and NFF President Gusau was true.
The development comes amid growing pressure on the NFF leadership following a difficult period for Nigerian football, including the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ historic failure to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Sanusi assumed office on March 20, 2015 and spent 11 years, four months and 28 days before his resignation.
His tenure eclipsed that of his closest rival, Sani Toro who served from December 21, 1993 to May 3, 1999 which was five years and six months.
Only third mass resignation in history
The latest development adds a new chapter to the history of football development in Nigeria.
The resignation of the Gusau-led board is only the third occasion on which the entire board of the football governing body had resigned in one fell swoop.
The first time, in recorded history was the board led by then Director of Prisons, Francis Giwa-Osagie. His board was constituted on January 20, 1964 and resigned on June 5, 1967.
That board was succeeded by another headed by Justice Chuba Ikpeazu, a Lagos High Court Judge.
The latest mass resignation, therefore, places the Gusau board in company of two previous boards that exited collectively, pointing to the extraordinary nature of the current crisis.
The wholesale departure of the Gusau-led administration now opens another uncertain chapter of Nigerian football which has been in comatose for over a decade.
Gusau, others should be probed – Ikhana, Owolabi
Former coach Enyimba International of Aba, Kadiri Ikhana, has called for the prosecution of former NFF, President, Alhaji Gusau and his board members.
Reacting to the resignation of Gusau, Ikhana, a member of the Green Eagles 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winning team, said the board headed by Gusau committed lots of atrocities and should account for the misdeeds.
“It’s not enough to just allow them to resign. What happens to the huge amount of money squandered in their tenure? What of the maladministration that happened that made us lose two World Cups?
“Nigerians deserve to know and the only way is to send either the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC or Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC after them. They should be made to account for every money advanced to them,” the former CAF Coach of the Year said.
However, another former Green Eagles star, Chief Felix Owolabi, lamented the destruction of Nigeria’s football under the former board.
Chief Owolabi described as”shameful” the level of backwardness of Nigerian football, praying for another composition that will right the wrong of the Gusau-led board.
His resignation provides opportunity for thorough clean up – Odegbami
On his part, another former Nigeria international and Super Eagles captain Segun Odegbami said: “His (Gusau’s) resignation removes the whole issue of FIFA ban, and now provides the opportunity for us to clean up whatever it is that we are complaining about.”
Odegbami says Gusau’s resignation could open the door for a major change in Nigerian football.
Bako points way forward, warns against recycling their mentors
Danladi Bako, on the way forward, said: “For those conversant with sports in general and football in particular, the events of the last 24 hours signalling the resignation of the NFF President, Gusau certainly comes as a welcome development and timely response to public opinion characterised by very intense pressure.
“It is not only gratifying but highly responsible on the part of all functionaries within the football fraternity that prosecuted this push for change.
“All the elders within the public sphere and sympathisers within and outside government who encouraged Alhaji Gusau must also be commended. The general opinion that Alhaji Gusau and the Executive board needed to go was clearly overwhelming, and the authorities heeded to the voice of the people by fashioning out an exit strategy.
“Permit me to also commend the immediate past President Alhaji Gusau for the courage to read public opinion and accept the feelings of Nigerians by stepping aside. That action alone will ensure the nation or his state better utilizes him in some other capacity someday.
“The way forward is for the dissolution of the Executive board properly following the relevant articles of the statutes giving way for the establishment of a Normalisation Committee to prepare the stage for fresh elections after restructuring the composition of the Executive Board and the Congress. This should be done in three months. It must also take a close look at the judgment of Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court in 2010 nullifying the nomenclature “Federation” in its usage as against “Association” as it was at inception. It has to seek the advice and consequential position of the Attorney-General of the Federation on which legal route to follow.
“It is my wish that the National Sports Commission, NSC management will not recycle some of their mentors that served with them in the Football Federation in the past as members of the Normalisation Committee. We can’t go back to install people who ruined the last twelve years of our football into a reform committee.
“For once, there is Renewed Hope on the horizon for Nigerian Football, at least if Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Rasheedat Ajibade and Michelle Alozie will not be at the next FIFA World Cups, the younger Eagles and Falconets are primed to qualify in the immediate future.”
Sports commission splits over choice of Normalisation C’ttee Chair
Following the resignation of Gusau, and other board members, the National Sports Commission, NSC chieftains at the commission are at loggerheads over who to name as Chairman of the Normalisation Committee.
It was gathered that the NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and Director-General, Bukola Olopade, disagreed over who should head the Normalisation Committee.
Sources said both of them had agreed to force the NFF board to step aside but were in disagreement over who to choose as Chairman of the Normalisation Committee.
According to a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, while Mallam Dikko prefers Musa Ahmadu, Olopade prefers Amaju Pinnick.
“We’ve seen this movie before. When administrators fight, players suffer, sponsors run, and Federation of International Football Association, FIFA, starts asking questions,” the source added.
The ‘Normalisation Committee’ being suggested will take charge of the NFF for a period of three months.
The terms of reference for the committee will include the conduct of fresh elections for a new executive of the NFF.
This will, no doubt, affect the original schedule for the election which was originally fixed for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Recall that Vanguard reported how the NFF board quit following intense pressure after poor management of Nigerian football and funds.
As a matter of fact, the Department of State Services, DSS, joined other security operatives in investigating the NFF over utilisation of the N17billion Federal Government intervention fund released to the Federation for players’ wages and bonuses.
NFF statutory rules on resignation
The resignation of the NFF president is the most trending news in Nigeria today.
This action followed the cry of Nigerians over the failure of the Super Eagles and Super Falcons, among other national teams to qualify for the 2026 and 2027 World Cups respectively.
Angry football fans as well as stakeholders were united in their call for the Gusau-led board to throw in the towel, so that a new lease of life could be breathed into football administration to revive the fortunes of the national teams as well as put a long lasting structure in place to engender real development of the country’s football.
According to the Statutes which the NFF operates with, an officer or Executive Committee member, including the President, may voluntarily tender a resignation from office, following a personal or committee decisions and must be submitted to the NFF Secretariat or Congress.
The resignation tendered to the NFF Secretariat is placed before an emergency or ordinary session of the NFF Congress for official ratification and administrative next steps.
In order not to allow a vacuum, the Statutes makes provision for Interim and Replacement Provisions.
When a vacancy arises due to resignation or permanent disability of an officer, the NFF Statutes provides for specific succession protocols, often empowering the remaining Executive Committee members or convening a congress to arrange for a replacement or a time-bound administrative framework in line with FIFA and Confederation of African Football, CAF, regulations, pending an election.
What the Statutes say about Normalisation Committee
The NFF Statutes doesn’t make any room for a Normalisation Committee, which is a temporal governance intervention adopted by FIFA.
Under FIFA principles, a normalisation committee is an ad-hoc interim body appointed directly by FIFA (in consultation with CAF) as a measure of last resort when the normal democratic or administrative functioning of a member association breaks down.
The duties of this Normalisation Committee include the running the daily administrative affairs of the federation, reviewing and reforming existing statutes to align with global standards, and organising fresh, credible elections.
Former Secretary-General of the defunct NFA, Alhaji Sani Toro, however, said that since the tenure of the Gusau board expires September 28, 2026, the Normalisation Committee was necessary but it must be constituted in consultation with CAF which stands for FIFA.
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