Prince Harrison Jalla, a candidate for the Nigeria Football Federation’s presidential election on September 27, 2026, has accused the National Sports Commission and the National Assembly of failing to address what he called a deepening administrative crisis in Nigerian football.
Quick facts
- Jalla chairs the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reforms Initiative.
- He is contesting the NFF presidency on September 27, 2026.
- His criticism is directed at the NSC and the National Assembly.
In a statement released Tuesday, Jalla said the NSC had not used its supervisory authority over the NFF. He also criticised the Senate and House of Representatives committees responsible for sports, saying they had constitutional oversight powers but had stood by as the federation moved toward the election.
Jalla said the election was still entangled in two unresolved legal proceedings. One case is before the Court of Appeal, while the other is at the Federal High Court in Abuja; both involve demands for reform and the implementation of previous court rulings. He did not identify the parties involved or give additional details about the suits.
He further pointed to two presidential directives, without specifying them, which he said ordered wide-ranging changes within the federation. Jalla also argued that the bloc of state Football Association chairmen that has dominated NFF elections since 2008 did not have the ability to take Nigerian football forward.
The reform campaigner urged the Federal Government, led by President Bola Tinubu, to step in. He warned that failure to respond to the calls for change could eventually trigger a collapse of public order.
The National Sports Commission, chaired by Shehu Dikko, had not issued a response to Jalla’s allegations when the report was published.
