Former Gombe State Football Association chairman, Shuaibu Ahmed Gara-Gombe, has rejected former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami’s threat to seek a court order to stop the forthcoming Nigeria Football Federation election.
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Odegbami had called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the election process and had threatened legal action over the composition of the NFF Congress, arguing that the current structure gives an advantage to the incumbent administration.
The NFF election is scheduled for September 27, 2026, in Lafia, Nasarawa State, with concerns raised over the distribution of delegates involved in the electoral process.
Gara-Gombe, however, disagreed with Odegbami’s approach, describing the proposed court action as being driven by personal interests rather than the broader development of Nigerian football.
“I disagree with almost everything he said. Asking the President to stop the NFF election for personal interest is something I cannot agree with.”
The former football administrator acknowledged that electoral reforms are necessary but argued that the composition of the NFF Congress cannot be fundamentally changed through court action or temporary committees.
According to Gara-Gombe, any major alteration to the structure of the football federation’s congress would require intervention by the National Assembly.
“We need electoral reforms, not only in Nigerian football. Electoral reform is required in everything that we do.”
He argued that lawmakers should take responsibility for reviewing the legal framework governing the NFF and determine whether changes are required to make the electoral process more representative and transparent.
Gara-Gombe also questioned Odegbami’s criticisms of accountability within Nigerian football, challenging the former Super Eagles captain to address allegations surrounding organisations and programmes he had previously been associated with. Those claims were presented by Gara-Gombe as allegations and were not independently established in the reports.
The disagreement comes at a sensitive time for Nigerian football, with the September election approaching amid renewed calls for changes to the administration and structure of the game.
While Gara-Gombe agrees that the electoral system requires reform, he maintains that the solution should come through proper legislative and institutional processes rather than an attempt to halt the election through the courts.
