Presidency Rejects Pinnick As NSC Moves To Install NFF Normalisation Committee

Presidency Rejects Pinnick As NSC Moves To Install NFF Normalisation Committee

 By Lateef Ibraheem

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has cancelled the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) electoral congress scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, as part of plans to reorganise the country’s football administration, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The decision, if eventually come to reality will be a major blow to the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF executive committee, which had been seeking re-election after assuming office four years ago.

Meanwhile, the presidency has kicked against former NFF President, Amaju Pinnick to lead the Normalization Committee while the NSC continue the search for a replacement.

The NSC is now expected to constitute a three-month normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of Nigerian football and prepare the ground for a fresh NFF election.

The decision to halt the electoral process was reportedly taken last Thursday, following the Super Falcons’ elimination by South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the African playoff for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Nigeria’s senior women’s national team had featured at every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the competition began in China in 1991.

Sources familiar with the development said the NSC had sought assurances from world football governing body FIFA before proceeding with the planned intervention. The commission was also said to have engaged FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe over the situation.

With the Gusau administration effectively out of the immediate equation, the NSC was initially reported to have considered former NFF President Amaju Pinnick as chairman of the proposed normalisation committee.

However, that proposal reportedly met resistance from senior officials in the Presidency.

The Presidency has subsequently given the NSC the go-ahead to announce the committee within 48 hours, although its final composition remained unclear as of yesterday.

“Some other names came up after some top officials in the Presidency turned down the NSC’s suggestion of making Amaju Pinnick the head of the Normalisation Committee,” a source told The Guardian. “For now, I don’t really know who will head the committee, but one thing I know is that Amaju is no longer in the picture.”

The source also disclosed that some senior officials in the Presidency had raised objections to the NSC’s reported plan to retain Dr Mohammed Sanusi as secretary of the committee.

According to the source, a key figure in the Presidency had travelled out of Abuja and was expected to return on Monday or Tuesday, after which the final composition of the committee would be made public.

The proposed normalisation committee is expected to run Nigerian football for three months and address some of the contentious issues surrounding the NFF electoral process. Its mandate would include laying the groundwork for a new election and resolving concerns raised by various stakeholders.

A senior NSC official contacted yesterday declined to comment on the matter, describing it as sensitive.

“We are working, and Nigerians will hear from us very soon,” the official said.

The planned intervention comes amid growing criticism of the Gusau administration over its record in office. Among the setbacks cited by critics is Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the country’s considerable pool of established players and the increased number of slots allocated to Africa for the tournament.

The failure has intensified debate over the effectiveness of Nigeria’s football development structure, as well as the management and utilisation of resources available to the NFF.

Over the years, Nigerian football has received financial support from several sources, including the Federal Government, which has provided funding and interventions for national teams and football development programmes. FIFA has also committed development resources to Nigeria through its Forward Programme.

The proposed normalisation process is therefore expected to come under close scrutiny, with stakeholders likely to demand transparency, accountability and a credible pathway to a new NFF administration.