Former Sokoto State Football Association chairman Dr Danladi Bako has called for a broad restructuring of Nigerian football after NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau stepped down, praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for overseeing a smooth change of leadership.
Key takeaways
- Bako endorsed Tinubu’s direction for a structural review of Nigeria’s football system.
- He wants the remaining NFF Executive Board dissolved under the federation’s statutes.
- An independent Normalization Committee should organize new elections within three months, he said.
- Bako urged legal clarification over whether the federation should be called an “Association” rather than a “Federation”.
- He warned the National Sports Commission not to bring back administrators associated with the previous 12 years.
Reform agenda after Gusau’s resignation
In a statement issued on Thursday, Bako commended the President’s management of the situation and welcomed his instruction for a fundamental reorganization of the nation’s football structure.
Bako said Tinubu had acted with the maturity and discretion expected of a father and leader, creating a peaceful transition without bitterness. He added that the President had achieved this without imposing visible control and had given Nigerian football what he described as “Renewed Hope.”
He said the President’s reform directives could provide lasting improvements at every level of the game, including grassroots development, youth national teams and the senior sides.
With the leadership change now under way, Bako proposed that the rest of the NFF Executive Board be dissolved immediately, citing the organization’s statutes. He then called for an independent Normalization Committee to oversee fresh elections within a three-month period.
Legal questions and administrative caution
Bako also asked the interim authorities to settle unresolved legal issues concerning the federation’s official name. He referred to a 2010 Federal High Court ruling delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo, which struck down the use of “Federation” and restored “Association” as the appropriate term. He recommended that the Attorney-General of the Federation be consulted on the correct legal procedure.
The former football administrator and veteran broadcaster further cautioned the National Sports Commission against relying on former office holders as part of the reform effort. He argued that administrators blamed for damaging Nigerian football over the previous 12 years should not be returned to positions on a reform committee.
