NPFL Broadcast Deal: Total Promotions Replies Elegbeleye

There seems to be no end in sight over the controversy surrounding the broadcast rights of the Nigeria Premier Football League as the acclaimed rights owners, Total Promotions, responded to the claims of NPFL chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, who said no contract existed between both parties.

This is coming on the heels of the statement released by the NPFL board, as well as the comments made by Elegbeleye during a radio interview on Kennis FM.

In the interview, Elegbeleye, just like the league body had said in a statement, described the claims of Total Promotions as baseless because the parties in which Total Promotions signed contracts with were defunct by court orders.

“When you talk about Total Promotions, I don’t know anything about that. We don’t have anything to do with that. They went back to history to say they signed a deal in 2006, was that deal with the late (Uyuki) Obaseki, a perpetual deal with the Nigerian Premier League? Now, where is even their broadcast station?” the league chairman queried.

In the wake of Elegbeleye’s statement, Managing Director, Total Promotions, Niyi Alonge, rebuffed the league chairman, recalling the role Total Promotions played in establishing the defunct Nigeria Football League Limited with a claim of an unpaid loan.

“I find it astonishing that Gbenga Elegbeleye said he’s unaware of Total Promotions Nigeria Ltd and its alleged unending surreptitious link with the league,” Alonge said in a statement.

“Total Promotions played a pivotal role in getting NFLL registered by CAC all in the aim of making the league a viable product for sponsors and companies to invest into.

“Total Promotions’ loan of N35m started up the league in 2005 leading to take off. There is a board meeting of the interim league board which captured this yet to be paid loan, and we have a copy of the minutes signed by Salihu Abubakar, the then secretary of the interim board,” he said.

He also gave details of how the rights were awarded with the knowledge of the former chairman of club owners, Isaac Danladi who was also the legal officer of the league.

“For broadcast rights, Total, AIT submitted bids. AIT tabled N50m. Total (Promotions) tabled N120m. And Total Promotions was proclaimed the preferred bidder. The final signed agreement was negotiated between the league’s lawyer Issac Danladi and Mamman Usman (SAN) representing Total Promotions Ltd.

“SuperSports was not in Nigeria until approximately two years later. Till date, we have not owed the league a penny in this purely business venture.”

The NPFL is currently running under a new broadcast deal worth N5.9bn with StarTimes.