The Nigeria Football Federation has suspended all preparations for its September 27 elective congress and announced Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme as interim General Secretary following Thursday’s mass resignation of its leadership.
In a statement issued by its Communications Department, the NFF said the National Sports Commission had endorsed Ikpeme, previously the federation’s Deputy General Secretary, to oversee the Secretariat during the transition.
Dr Ademola Olajire, who served as Director of Media and Communications, has also been appointed interim Deputy General Secretary.
The changes follow the resignations of NFF president Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the Executive Committee amid growing criticism over the administration of Nigerian football and the performances of the national teams.
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The NFF confirmed that all processes leading to the elective congress scheduled to take place in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on September 27 had been suspended.
The electoral process was already at the candidate-screening stage following the sale and submission of nomination forms.
According to the federation, a completely fresh electoral process will commence after the proposed comprehensive reforms of Nigerian football have been completed.
The reforms will be developed in consultation with FIFA, the Confederation of African Football, the Federal Government and other stakeholders.
The decision means that the existing electoral timetable will no longer produce an immediate replacement for Gusau and the departing Executive Committee.
The administrative changes have also been extended to Nigeria’s domestic leagues.
The chairmen, appointed directors and chief executive officers of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and Nationwide League One have been directed to hand over the administration of their competitions to their chief operating officers.
Where a league’s current chief operating officer is not an NFF employee, Ikpeme will deploy a replacement from within the federation.
The NFF said the measures were introduced to maintain continuity in the administration of Nigerian football while discussions continue on the structure and implementation of the proposed reforms.
The leadership shake-up comes after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons missed the 2027 Women’s World Cup, ending Nigeria’s record of appearing at every edition since 1991.
Nigeria’s youth teams have also struggled, with the Flying Eagles failing to qualify for the next Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and FIFA U-20 World Cup, while the Golden Eaglets have missed three consecutive U-17 World Cups.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football, identifying governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability as areas requiring urgent attention.
The NFF said further decisions would be announced as consultations with FIFA, CAF, the government and other football stakeholders progress.
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