Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme has been appointed as the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), by the National Sports Commission (NSC) following the resignation on Thursday by the NFF president Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi, and other board members.
Ikpeme, who was a Deputy General Secretary of the NFF, will run the federation’s secretariat during the transition period, while a former Director of Media and Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire, will serve as Acting Deputy General Secretary.
The NSC also suspended all processes initiated for the NFF Elective Congress scheduled for September 27.
The NSC said “a fresh electoral process will commence following the completion of the anticipated comprehensive reforms, to be undertaken in consultation with world football’s governing body, FIFA, and CAF.”
According to the commission, election of a new board would form part of wider reforms aimed at addressing governance issues within Nigerian football.
The commission has directed the chairmen, appointed directors and chief executive officers of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) and Nationwide League One (NLO) directed to immediately hand over league operations to their respective Chief Operating Officers (COOs).
It said where a league’s COO is not an NFF staff member, Acting General Secretary Ikpeme would appoint a replacement from within the federation.
The measures being taken, according to the commission, were meant to maintain administrative continuity as stakeholders, government officials, FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) work on a broader reform roadmap for Nigerian football.
It said further directives would be issued as the transition and reform process progresses.
