Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
As the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) hurtles toward a crucial elective congress on September 26, 2026, in Lafia, Nasarawa State, a powerful coalition of northern football administrators and former internationals has stepped forward with a measured but firm demand: the next phase of Nigerian football leadership must be built on experience, continuity, and equity, not regional rivalry. The intervention comes at a moment of profound instability for the country's football governing body, with incumbent NFF President Ibrahim Gusau fighting to retain his seat amid mounting pressure from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and a push from southern stakeholders to reclaim the federation's top job.
The statement, articulated in a widely circulated article by Adamu Mohammed and published by The Nation on September 4, 2026, is careful to avoid the trap of regionalism. "This is not a call for regionalism at the expense of competence," the article reads. "Rather, it is a call for equity, inclusion and recognition of the wealth of experience available within the Northern football community". The authors argue that after eight years of southern leadership under Amaju Pinnick and his vice president Seyi Akinwunmi, followed by Gusau's four-year tenure, the conversation should focus on individuals capable of providing stability and effective leadership within the framework of NFF statutes and electoral provisions.
The piece identifies a formidable roster of northern football personalities whose credentials, its authors argue, cannot be ignored. Among them are Barr. Musa Amadu of Jigawa State, a former NFF Secretary-General with a master's degree in football management and deep institutional knowledge of the federation's governance; Hon. Dr. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande of Plateau State, a former NFF board member and current chairman of the Plateau State Football Association whose experience spans club management, grassroots development, and national governance; and Alhaji Gara Gombe, a former chairman of the Gombe State Football Association and NFF consultant with extensive grassroots and professional experience.
The list also includes Emmanuel Babayaro of Kaduna State, a former Nigerian international and General Manager of Kaduna United; Dominic Iorfa of Benue State, a former international, ex-NFF board member, and current General Manager of Barau FC; and Daniel Amokachi, also of Benue State, the former Super Eagles striker who recently earned his CAF A coaching licence in Morocco and has served as General Manager of Lobi Stars and Technical Adviser of Nasarawa United. Barr. A. U. Mustapha, SAN, of Kwara State, who chairs the CAF Appeal Committee and has served as chairman of the NFF Electoral Committee, is also cited, alongside Alhaji Adam Mouktar Mohammed of Jigawa State, chairman of the FCT Football Association and a former presidential candidate.
The intervention is not happening in a vacuum. The NFF is in the grip of a crisis that has transcended football administration and entered the political arena. Gusau has been under intense pressure following a series of poor results from the national teams, including the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons' historic failure to secure a place at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. Reports have indicated that the NFF presidency may be zoned to the South ahead of the elective congress, driven by concerns that both the offices of the NFF president and the General Secretary are currently occupied by officials from the North-West zone.
This has set the stage for a high-stakes power struggle. Gusau has been mobilising northern traditional rulers, governors, and top politicians to frustrate moves to remove him and his board. Sources suggest that Gusau is driving a narrative that an attempt to remove him is also an attempt to dislodge the northern bloc from the leadership of Nigerian football and replace it with a Southerner. The argument, according to sources, is that removing the Gusau-led leadership would amount to pushing the North out of the country's most influential sporting institution, especially after the South completed two terms of eight years under Amaju Pinnick.
Yet the northern football figures behind the recent statement are careful to frame their appeal not as a defence of Gusau personally, but as a defence of institutional memory and accumulated expertise. "The future of Nigerian football should never become a contest between regions," the article insists. "The real question should be: Who has the experience, competence, integrity, vision and national outlook to move Nigerian football forward?". This echoes the sentiment expressed by former international Paul Okoku, who has urged stakeholders to elect a visionary leader regardless of regional origin, arguing that "the real question is: who has the competence, integrity, courage and vision to fix Nigerian football?".
Beyond the leadership tussle, there is a recognition that the North continues to play a vital role in grassroots football development. The Kano State Government, in partnership with the NFF, is set to host the 2026 Renewed Hope Football Cup, a tournament drawing participants from all 19 northern states and the FCT, designed to promote peace, youth development, and grassroots football. Initiatives like the Breakthrough Soccer Academy in Kano, run by the unconventional female coach Hida Ghaddar, are keeping youth off drugs and nurturing talent in a region grappling with unemployment and substance abuse. Academies in Kaduna and across the region are discovering and polishing young talents.
But the immediate focus remains on the NFF congress. The northern football community has made its position clear: experience and continuity must not be sacrificed on the altar of regional rotation. Whether that argument prevails will depend on how the political calculations in Abuja unfold in the coming weeks. One thing is certain: the battle for the soul of Nigerian football is far from over.
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