NFF Overhauls Statutes, Forms New Electoral Committees For 2026 Elections

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has taken a decisive step towards its 2026 leadership elections after approving sweeping amendments to its statutes and constituting new electoral bodies at an Extraordinary General Assembly held yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

At the high-level meeting on Monday, Congress unanimously ratified updates to the NFF Statutes (March 2026 Edition), Electoral Code, and Standing Orders—moves widely seen as critical to ensuring a transparent and credible electoral process ahead of the federation’s elective congress scheduled for 26 September 2026 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

Central to the resolutions was the approval of a 12-member pool drawn from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to serve on the Electoral Committee and the Electoral Appeals Committee.

The appointments reflect a deliberate effort to balance representation and strengthen institutional integrity in the build-up to the polls.

The approved nominees include Barrister Matthew Burkala (SAN) and Emmanuel Dada Obafemi (North Central); Alhaji Babagoni Grema and Barrister Benjamin Sak (North East); Bature Musa and Professor Abdulmalik Awwal (North West); Justice C.J. Aneke and Arinze Azubuike Anughere (South East); Dr Olugbenga Omole and Abayomi Akin Omoyimi (South West); and Ayibaye Peter Great Temedie alongside Ayi Ekpo Ukpayam (South South).

The members are scheduled to be inaugurated in Abuja on Wednesday, after which they will be split into the Electoral Committee and the Electoral Appeals Committee in line with provisions of the Electoral Code. The Electoral Committee will comprise five principal members and two alternates, while the Appeals Committee will have three members and two alternates.

The reforms and appointments signal the federation’s intent to lay a solid administrative foundation for the forthcoming elections, which will determine the NFF’s next leadership.

The assembly, hosted at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, also passed a vote of confidence in the NFF Executive Committee led by Ibrahim Musa Gusau, endorsing its efforts in developing football across the country.

In a broader context, Congress commended the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for sports development, as well as the contributions of the National Sports Commission leadership and the Bayelsa State Government under Governor Douye Diri for hosting the assembly.

With the statutory framework now updated and electoral structures in place, attention will shift to the September congress, where key decisions shaping the future of Nigerian football are set to be made.