Odegbami’s Call To Halt NFF Polls Raises Governance, FIFA Concerns — Saidu

The Chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association, Mohammed Nasir Saidu, has backed calls for greater transparency and inclusiveness in Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) elections but rejected the proposal to halt the 2026 polls, warning that direct government intervention could expose Nigerian football to FIFA sanctions.

Saidu was reacting to former Green Eagles captain and 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winner Segun Odegbami’s appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop the forthcoming NFF elections.

In an analysis of Odegbami’s position, Saidu said the football legend had raised “legitimate governance questions” around electoral competitiveness, transparency, inclusiveness and stakeholder confidence.

However, he argued that some of Odegbami’s conclusions appeared to be based on assertions rather than verifiable evidence.

On the allegation that the election had been “skewed” in favour of incumbents, Saidu said incumbency could provide structural advantages but did not, by itself, constitute evidence of electoral manipulation.

He said claims of a predetermined election would require evidence of issues such as discriminatory eligibility rules, manipulation of the voters’ register, intimidation, vote-buying, unequal access to delegates or violations of approved electoral procedures.

Saidu similarly questioned the assertion that the election results had already been decided, noting that alliances and bloc voting were common in sporting elections globally.

“Political organisation is not necessarily electoral manipulation, just as broad support for an incumbent does not automatically amount to the absence of democracy,” he said.

He also called for a detailed comparison of the old NFF Statutes and the amended 2026 version before describing the changes as merely cosmetic.

On the call for President Tinubu to stop the election, Saidu said such an intervention would create serious legal and practical problems.

He argued that the President had no express power under the NFF Statutes to suspend the federation’s electoral process and that any attempt to do so could be interpreted by FIFA as government interference.

Such action, he warned, could trigger disputes and possible sanctions affecting Nigeria’s national teams, clubs and participation in international competitions.

Instead, Saidu urged stakeholders to pursue reforms through established NFF, FIFA and other relevant mechanisms.

He said Odegbami’s concerns about transparency and institutional credibility should be addressed, but maintained that sustainable reform would require stronger institutions, clear rules, financial accountability and broader stakeholder participation.

“Genuine reform of Nigerian football cannot be achieved merely by stopping one election,” Saidu said, stressing that change must strengthen the game without exposing it to “instability and avoidable international consequences”.