By Attah Ede
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has named Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme as Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), following a major leadership shake-up in the country’s football governing body.
Ikpeme, who previously served as the NFF Deputy General Secretary, will oversee the federation’s secretariat during the transition period, while Dr Ademola Olajire, former Director of Media and Communications, will serve as Acting Deputy General Secretary.
The appointments followed the resignations on Thursday of NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi, and several members of the federation’s Executive Committee.
The NSC also suspended all processes initiated for the NFF Elective Congress scheduled for September 27.
“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 NSC said in a statement.
The commission said the new electoral process would form part of wider reforms aimed at addressing governance issues within Nigerian football.
As part of the transition measures, the chairmen, appointed directors, and chief executive officers of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), and Nationwide League One (NLO) have been directed to immediately hand over league operations to their respective Chief Operating Officers (COOs).
The NSC said where a league’s COO is not an NFF staff member, Acting General Secretary Ikpeme would deploy a replacement from within the federation.
The commission said the measures were necessary to maintain administrative continuity as stakeholders, government officials, FIFA, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) work on a broader reform roadmap for Nigerian football.
It added that further directives would be issued as the transition and reform process progresses.
