By Our Correspondent
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Athletics and Other Sports Commission—an NGO advocating for accountability and transparency in sports—Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has commented on the recently concluded Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Congress, where stakeholders passed a vote of confidence in the federation’s leadership.
Gombe, a sports entrepreneur, former Chairman of United Football Club, and former Chairman of the Gombe State Football Association, described the vote of confidence passed on NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and his team during the Congress in Yenagoa as “not unexpected,” noting that it is within the rights of Congress members to do so. He made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
“I have deliberately refrained in recent times from commenting on the management of sports and Nigerian football generally,” Gombe said. “However, regarding the vote of confidence passed on the NFF leadership, it is their right and a normal practice. It is not unprecedented.”
He stressed that such endorsements have historical precedent, recalling that a similar vote of confidence was passed during the tenure of former NFF President Amaju Pinnick.
“To suggest that this is the first time such a vote has been passed is incorrect,” he said. “Any alleged shortcomings of the current NFF leadership are, in my view, far less significant than those recorded during Amaju Pinnick’s tenure, yet a vote of confidence was still granted at the time.”
Gombe questioned the criticism trailing the recent development, arguing that stakeholders who remained silent in the past should not now be selective in their reactions.
He further alleged that Nigerian football suffered significant setbacks during Pinnick’s eight-year tenure, including financial mismanagement, noting that Mallam Shehu Dikko—now heading the National Sports Commission (NSC)—served as Pinnick’s vice president during that period.
“Can genuine reform be expected under such leadership?” he asked. “Those calling for the removal of the current NFF leadership must explain where an alternative will come from. If Pinnick completed eight years, then Gusau should also be allowed to complete his tenure.”
Gombe also criticised some former players and stakeholders for what he described as “hypocrisy,” singling out former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi for speaking out now after remaining silent during previous administrations.
“I am not sentimental about personalities or regions; I speak only the truth,” he said. “Some individuals who are vocal today were quiet when critical issues were unfolding in the past.”
He also referenced past engagements between sports stakeholders and President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, suggesting that many failed to present concrete reform plans for Nigerian football at the time.
According to Gombe, the challenges facing Nigerian football are systemic and extend beyond the NFF to other sports federations and the National Sports Commission.
“Reform is needed across the board—including in basketball, athletics, and other sports. These issues are cyclical,” he said.
He called for a comprehensive investigation into the administration of Nigerian football, dating back to the tenure of Aminu Maigari, insisting that meaningful progress cannot be achieved without accountability.
Gombe concluded by reaffirming that the NFF Congress acted within its अधिकार in passing a vote of confidence, while emphasizing that true reform must begin at the highest levels of sports administration.
“The National Sports Commission must take the lead by constituting a functional board and ensuring accountability for public funds over the past five years,” he said.
