The Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One, Shola Ogunnowo, has maintained that the 2026 league season will strictly adhere to the competition’s statutory provisions, including the reintroduction of the home-and-away format.
Ogunnowo was reacting to concerns raised by a group known as the NLO Progressives Club Owners Chairmen, who formally appealed to the Nigeria Football Federation to reconsider the decision.
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The group argued that the return to a full home-and-away structure could impose significant financial and operational burdens on grassroots clubs, many of whom they claim may struggle to cope with increased travel, logistics, and matchday costs.
However, Ogunnowo dismissed the approach taken by the forum, stating that the NLO statutes clearly provide for competitions to be staged on a home-and-away basis. He emphasized that such structural concerns should have been tabled during the league’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), the designated platform for deliberating policy and format matters.
According to him, raising critical governance issues outside the established statutory framework contravenes league regulations.
The NLO COO further noted that the NLO Progressives Club Owners Chairmen is not a formally recognized body within the league’s governance structure, stressing that football administration must operate within defined regulatory channels.
In a strongly worded response, Ogunnowo pointed out what he described as inconsistencies within the group’s position.
“Some of them have been at the forefront of demanding the home-and-away format, blackmailing the league and accusing us of benefiting from the stadium format without helping the clubs. Now they are the same set asking us to revert to the old order,” he stated.
He reiterated that decisions taken by the league management are guided by the broader interest of the competition rather than the preferences of a few stakeholders.
“In NLO, we will continue to do the best things that will benefit the league, not the interest of a few,” Ogunnowo affirmed.
The development sets the stage for continued debate within Nigeria’s third-tier football ecosystem as administrators balance regulatory compliance with the financial realities facing grassroots clubs ahead of the 2026 season.
