Gara-Gombe Rejects Odegbami’s Bid To Stop NFF Elections, Backs Electoral Reform

Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Athletics and Other Sports Development Commission, has rejected former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami’s threat to seek a court order to stop the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) elections.

Odegbami, popularly known as ‘The Mathematical’ during his playing days, had renewed his opposition to the composition of the NFF Congress, arguing that the current delegate structure favours incumbents and makes it difficult for credible candidates to emerge.

He said 37 of the 44 delegates involved in the electoral process were state Football Association chairmen and vowed to approach the civil courts to obtain a restraining order if necessary.

However, Gara-Gombe dismissed the move as being motivated by personal interests rather than the broader development of Nigerian football.

“I disagree with almost many things he said in that video,” Gara-Gombe said. “If you want to talk about issues in Nigerian sports or anything affecting our country, forget fronting or saturating people with your profile. We know who you are.”

He questioned Odegbami’s criticism of corruption and accountability in football and challenged the former international to explain controversies surrounding the Shell Cup and the Nigeria Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM), which he chaired.

“He has no moral right to talk about corruption or accountability,” Gara-Gombe alleged, while calling on Odegbami to respond to questions surrounding the management of funds allocated to NASCOM.

Gara-Gombe also recalled Odegbami’s previous attempt to contest for a position in the NFF, claiming that he failed to secure the required endorsement from Football Associations in his South-West zone.

“I was a Congress member as Gombe State FA chairman and I was the one that signed his nomination form to contest,” he said. “So, I don’t have anything against him personally, but on this one—asking the President to stop the NFF election for personal interest—I would not agree with him.”

He also questioned claims that Odegbami’s Eagle FM radio station suffered significant financial losses because Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Did NFF ask him to go and set up Eagle FM? You set it up for your own personal gain,” Gara-Gombe said, arguing that other private media organisations had not made similar complaints.

On the wider issue of electoral reform, Gara-Gombe agreed that changes were necessary but said the responsibility ultimately rested with the National Assembly.

“We need electoral reforms, not only in Nigerian football. Electoral reform is required in everything that we do,” he said.

He argued that the composition of the NFF Congress could not be fundamentally changed through court action or ad hoc committees without legislative intervention.

“The issue of the composition of Nigerian Football Association Congress has to do with the National Assembly,” he said. “Let the National Assembly go there and take up that challenge.”

Gara-Gombe further urged the National Sports Commission leadership, including Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director-General Bukola Olopade, to publicly clarify its position on the controversy surrounding the NFF elections.

“The National Sports Commission must come out and state their position,” he said. “Their silence shows that they are behind it, and we are going to take them on it.”

He maintained that amending the law establishing football administration in Nigeria was the most sustainable route to addressing the concerns over representation, accountability and electoral structures in the NFF.