Former international midfielder, United States-based Paul Okoku has urged football stakeholders to elect a visionary as next Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president.

He said that the new president should be a visionary leader, who can build a proper structure, be accountable and have the ability to transform the nation’s talent into sustained World Cup-level success.

Okoku’s advice is coming just as calls for the current NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, to vacate the position are mounting.

Reports at the weekend indicated that the NFF Presidency may be zoned to the South ahead of the federation’s elective congress scheduled for September 26, 2026, in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

According to reports, some influential stakeholders want the NFF presidency to return to the South at the end of the tenure of the current president, Ibrahim Gusau. The move, according to the reports, is based on concerns that both the offices of the NFF president and the General Secretary are currently occupied by officials from the North-West zone.

Gusau is from Zamfara State, while the Secretary-General, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, hails from Kebbi State.

The report further stated that efforts are being made behind the scenes to discourage Gusau from seeking re-election when delegates gather for the federation’s elective congress in Lafia.

The Guardian also learnt that the Presidency is unhappy with Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup and has also mandated the National Sports Commission (NSC) to engineer a change of leadership that will lead to a purposeful and result-oriented NFF.

Reacting to the developments in the NFF, Okoku said: “Nigeria has never lacked football talent. What we have often lacked is visionary leadership, proper structure, consistency, planning, accountability and the right football environment to transform that talent into sustained World Cup-level success.

“For me, the issue is bigger than whether the next NFF President comes from the North or the South. The real question is: who has the competence, integrity, courage and vision to fix Nigerian football?

“There is a serious trust deficit between the public and football administrators in Nigeria. Whether proven or perceived, many Nigerians believe corruption, poor decision-making, political loyalty, favouritism, and lack of transparency have damaged our football over the years,” he said.

Okoku also said that change becomes inevitable when some officials are seen to be influencing the choice of players for the national team, adding: “When officials use their positions to influence player selection, promote players from their own academies, or force players on coaches, merit suffers, home-based talents are neglected, coaches lose authority, and the national team becomes weaker.

“In the past, World Cup qualification also appeared to give administrators political leverage, because influential stakeholders could be taken to tournaments and kept close. Since Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, perhaps this is the moment to reset the system and demand leadership based on competence, not politics.”

He argued that ex-internationals still have a major role to play in the country’s football, saying, however, that football experience alone is not enough.

“We need former players, professionals and administrators who understand the game, respect governance, reject corruption, and have the vision to rebuild Nigerian football from the grassroots to the national teams.”