Ikpeme Takes Over NFF Secretariat Amid Mass Resignation
The Nigeria Football Federation has entered a new phase of transition after the National Sports Commission moved swiftly to appoint interim officials to run the Secretariat and the country’s top league following the resignation of the federation’s top hierarchy.
Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, until Thursday the Deputy General Secretary, has been endorsed by the National Sports Commission to oversee the NFF Secretariat as interim General Secretary replacing Dr Mohammed Sanusi who resigned alongside NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau and members of the Executive Committee.
Dr Ademola Olajire, formerly Director of Media and Communications, will serve as interim Deputy General Secretary.
In a related development on Friday, the federation named Dr Ayo Abdulrahaman as Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Premier Football League. His appointment came on the same day the 2026/2027 NPFL season kicked off with a season-opening fixture between CAF Confederation Cup representatives Shooting Stars and newly-promoted Inter Lagos FC at the Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan.
As part of the restructuring, the National Sports Commission has directed the Chairmen, directors and chief executives of the NPFL, NNL, NWFL and NLO to hand over the administration of their leagues to their Chief Operating Officers who are NFF staff. Where a league does not have a COO, the federation is to deploy one immediately.
In a major decision, all activities in preparation for the NFF Elective Congress earlier scheduled for September 27 have been suspended. The Commission said a fresh electoral process will only begin after comprehensive reforms are concluded in consultation with FIFA and CAF.
The shake-up follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu ordering a total overhaul of Nigerian football administration. The President cited Nigeria’s repeated failure to qualify for major regional, continental and global tournaments as the reason for the intervention.
