Board Members: Statute Allows Voluntary Resignation, As 10 Vacancies Could Trigger Extraordinary Congress

Board Members: Statute Allows Voluntary Resignation, As 10 Vacancies Could Trigger Extraordinary Congress 

By Niyi Busari 

Members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee are entitled to resign from office voluntarily, with Article 38 of the Federation’s Statutes providing for resignation as one of the circumstances under which an executive position becomes vacant, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The provision has assumed renewed significance ahead of the 2026 NFF Elective Congress, with differing interpretations emerging over the procedure an Executive Committee member must follow to relinquish office.

Article 38(8) states: “Any position within the Executive Committee shall be considered vacant in case of death, resignation or if the member concerned is permanently prevented from performing his official function.”

The provision does not, in itself, stipulate a mandatory two-month notice period for an Executive Committee member wishing to resign. It also does not expressly state in Article 38(8) that such a resignation must be addressed specifically to the General Secretary.

The interpretation is particularly relevant as the NFF approaches its elective congress, where the composition of the Executive Committee and the status of its members could become subjects of increased scrutiny.

What happens when an NFF position becomes vacant?

Article 38(6) and (7) outlines how vacancies on the Executive Committee are to be handled.

Where one position, or up to 50 per cent of the Executive Committee positions, becomes vacant, the Executive Committee is empowered to fill the vacant position or positions until the next Congress. At that Congress, replacements are to be elected to serve the remaining period of the affected tenure.

However, the Statutes provide a different procedure if more than 50 per cent of the Executive Committee positions become vacant.

In such a situation, the General Secretary is required to convene an Extraordinary Congress within the prescribed period. Until new elections are conducted, the remaining members of the Executive Committee are to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Federation.

The distinction makes the 50 per cent threshold particularly important in determining whether vacancies can be handled internally by the Executive Committee or whether an Extraordinary Congress becomes necessary.

NFF Executive Committee has 19 positions

In the statute as amended, the NFF Executive Committee is made up of 19 positions, comprising the President, three Vice-Presidents, the Chairman of Chairmen, 10 elected ordinary members, and representatives of the Nigeria National League (NNL), Nationwide League One (NLO) and Nigerian Women’s Football League (NWFL), in addition to one co-opted member.

The Second Vice-President is, ex officio, the Chairperson of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), while the Third Vice-President is required to be a woman.

The Chairman of Chairmen and the other relevant members of the Executive Committee are elected by Congress in accordance with the Statutes.

With 19 positions on the Executive Committee, the question of how many vacancies constitute “more than 50 per cent” is potentially significant. More than half of 19 means 10 or more vacant positions, while 9 vacancies would remain below the statutory threshold.

2026 NFF election fixed for September 27

The 2026 NFF Elective Congress is scheduled to take place in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on September 27, 2026.

The date was moved forward by 24 hours from the originally approved September 26 date after the NFF Extraordinary General Assembly approved the change to accommodate the Super Eagles’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Madagascar on September 25.

The NFF Electoral Committee has already commenced the electoral process. According to the official roadmap, the sale of nomination forms began on August 1, while submission closed on August 12. Screening of candidates is scheduled for August 27–30, with the list of cleared candidates expected on August 31. Appeals by disqualified candidates are scheduled for September 1–3, while the final list of cleared candidates is expected between September 11 and 12. Campaigning by cleared candidates is scheduled to run from September 14 to 24.

The Electoral Committee and Electoral Appeals Committee were constituted following the NFF Extraordinary General Assembly held in Yenagoa in March 2026, which also approved amendments to the NFF Statutes (March 2026 Edition) and the Electoral Code.

Consequently, any interpretation of resignation procedures ahead of the election should be considered in the context of the current March 2026 edition of the Statutes, rather than earlier versions.

The debate over resignation therefore centres not on whether the Statutes recognise resignation as a valid means of vacating an Executive Committee position — Article 38(8) clearly does — but on the procedural requirements surrounding the submission and recognition of such a resignation.

Ultimately, the relevant provisions of the current NFF Statutes, together with any applicable electoral regulations, will determine how individual resignations and resulting vacancies are treated as the Federation moves towards the September 27 elective congress.