The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) General Assembly has agreed to hold the federation’s electoral congress in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on September 26, 2026.

The federation’s bid to amend its statutes, electoral code and the General Assembly’s standing orders also got an express approval at its extraordinary congress held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday.

The approvals were done by the congress unanimously following the proposals by the NFF executive committee.

The General Assembly comprising chairmen of the 36 states’ football associations and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with the members of the NFF executive committee and management, unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the NFF Executive Committee, led by its president, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, “for their ongoing efforts in robustly developing the game of football across the length and breadth of Nigeria.”

But the chairman of the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reform Concepts, Harrison Jalla, has described the congress and “its purported outcome as an exercise in futility.”

In a communiqué issued after the congress, the NFF also said that it has approved the appointment of 12 persons, two from each geopolitical zone to serve on the electoral committee and the NFF Electoral Appeals Committee “based on proposals by leaders of the six geopolitical zones.”

It listed the 12 persons nominated as “Matthew Burkala and Emmanuel Dada Obafemi (North Central); Alhaji Babagoni Grema and Benjamin Sak (North East); Bature Musa and Prof. Abdulmalik Awwal (North West); Justice C. J. Aneke and Arinze Azubuike Anughere (South East); Dr Akogun Olugbenga Omole and Abayomi Akin Omoyimi (South West) and; Ayibaye Peter Great Temedie and Ayi Ekpo Ukpayang (South South).”
It said that the appointed persons would be inaugurated into the two different committees in Abuja, today, with members to choose their chairmen.

“In line with the NFF Electoral Code, five persons will serve as full members on the Electoral Committee with two other persons as alternates, while three persons will serve on the Electoral Appeals Committee with two other persons as alternates.”

Jalla, however, described the congress as “a sign of desperation by people eager to continue holding on to power illegally.”
He asked: “Why are they in a hurry to fix electoral congress and amend the statute when the suit challenging their actions is coming up on March 31?

“Anything they did in Yenagoa is an exercise in futility because it is a congress for only FA chairmen. The current undemocratic structure and its electoral process have been challenged in a court of competent jurisdiction since 2021, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1376/202. It will come up on March 31, so why are they in a hurry.”