Opinion

CALL FOR CALM AS NSC AND NFF SUPPORTERS CLASH OVER SEPTEMBER ELECTION

Published

2 months ago

August 16, 2026

By Jerome Chia, Writes from Benue

Stakeholders Warn Against Heating The Polity
Stakeholders across the Nigerian sports sector have called for restraint among pro-supporters of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), warning that rising agitations could escalate tensions in an already fragile political climate. With the 2027 general elections approaching and the country experiencing heightened anxiety, concerned voices say the ongoing confrontation between both camps is capable of spiraling into broader unrest if not properly managed through dialogue and due process.

“Shield Your Swords” – Elder Statesman Speaks Out
An elder statesman who pleaded anonymity expressed deep concern over the direction of the dispute. “There is tension in the country already concerning next year’s Presidential General Elections. The country is at unrest at the moment and the way these two groups’ agitations are going is tantamount to regenerating into different chaos,” he said. “I know what I’m saying. I’m an elder statesman. I have seen situations less than this that almost burnt the whole country. Please, both parties should sheath their swords and allow for due process through dialogue.”

NFF Pushes Ahead With September Election Plans
The NFF has confirmed that it intends to proceed with its scheduled elective congress in September, in line with its statutes and electoral calendar. Officials of the federation maintain that the process is an internal democratic exercise and should be allowed to hold without external interference. They argue that continuity in leadership is necessary to ensure Nigeria’s football programs and international engagements remain on track ahead of upcoming continental and global competitions.

NSC Concerns Raise Fears Of Government Interference
On the other hand, some influential figures within the NSC, described by sources as “eggheads” in the commission, are reportedly opposed to the election proceeding as planned. Their reservations center on governance, accountability and alignment with government sports policy. However, many stakeholders fear that any attempt to halt or interfere with the NFF election could be interpreted as government interference in football administration — a situation that historically attracts sanctions from world football governing body, FIFA.

FIFA Sanctions Loom Over Possible Interference
Football administrators have reminded both sides that FIFA statutes strictly prohibit third-party interference in member association elections. Previous cases across Africa and beyond have resulted in suspensions and bans that crippled national teams and domestic leagues. With Nigeria’s Super Eagles, the Flamingos, and club sides actively engaged internationally, stakeholders say the risk of a FIFA ban is too grave to ignore and could set Nigerian football back by years.

Dialogue Urged As Only Way Forward
As the September date approaches, sports stakeholders are urging the NSC and NFF leadership to prioritize dialogue over confrontation. They insist that the interest of Nigerian sports, athletes, and millions of supporters must come before personal or institutional egos. “This is not the time for power play,” the elder statesman concluded. “It is the time for wisdom, compromise, and protecting the image of our country. Let the law, the statutes, and peaceful engagement guide us.”

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Opinion

RE: BLAIR “HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER” OVER SUPPORT FOR BRITAIN WHILE ADVISING NIGERIA

Published

2 days ago

October 20, 2026

The Gleamer

(A rejoinder to Gordon Rayner’s article of October 18,2026 in the Telegraph, UK
By Kehinde Bamigbetan
After reading this article, particularly the denials from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and the Federal Government of Nigeria, one is bound to question the editorial judgment that gives this piece any value.

In short, what did Gordon Rainer set out to do with this publication? Put a shine on Jupiter’s false and thoroughly empty narrative? Set up a former Prime Minister for blackmail and opprobrium? Or revive a dead case before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes?

Whichever, Rainer presents propositions which swallow their answers. His first argument that Blair might have undermined British national security interests is contradicted by the disclosure that the TBI has no contract to advise the Federal Government of Nigeria.

His second argument, that Jupiter was denied the execution of its licence, is contradicted by the fact that the company is unknown under Nigerian law. Rainer then admits knowing this fact and introduces the company as Jupiter’s partners.

For clarity and the benefit of his readers, these companies—Basin Mining Limited and Range Mining Limited—lost their licences for failing to pay annual service fees. Basin, for instance, owes N1,223,750,000, about £691,368.

The licences were revoked after the companies ignored several notices to fulfil their contractual obligations to the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office. Penalties for non-payment are increasing daily, and the legal process to recover the funds is underway.

Rather than rescue its partners by paying their fees and penalties or allow the international settlement court to determine its case, Jupiter has mounted an international self-help campaign of calumny and economic sabotage against the government and people of Nigeria, using methods that threaten Nigeria’s security and diplomatic interests.

We believe Rainer is its latest innocent recruit, hoodwinked into propagating a false narrative by appealing to British national security interests when, in fact, Jupiter’s partners are, under Nigerian law, economic and security risks whose continued defiance of Nigeria’s laws endangers centuries of Britain-Nigeria relations.

The question Rainer should ask: if, indeed, Jupiter has a cast-iron case, why is it shedding crocodile tears and shopping for sympathy with false pretences and narratives?

Let’s give the clue: Jupiter’s promoter, Steve Davis, has leeched on Nigeria’s presidents since 1999 by pretending to be an international mining expert, and he has acquired an ego and assets far out of proportion to his financial and technical status.
He is so comfortable living above the law in Nigeria that compliance with regulatory provisions is a taboo, an affront to his bloated ego as a self-deluded “founder of Nigeria’s modern mining sector.”

Davis had a good time living his ego until Dele Alake became Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development in August 2023 and immediately launched a clean-up of the sector focused on zero-tolerance for non-compliance with the provisions of the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Law 2007, a law that Davis boasts he contributed to making and should set an example by encouraging compliance.

The Minister was shocked that the Nigerian Mining Cadastre had a huge amount of unpaid statutory fees despite the government’s investment in the Electronic Mining Cadastre Plus (EMC+) automation, which digitised the licensing process and upgraded services to the mining sector.

In line with the law, the minister ensured debtors were duly notified, and defaulters duly gazetted before revoking their licences for flouting the regulation on the payment of annual service fees.

In November 2023, the minister revoked at least 1,663 licences, a decision that showed it was no longer business as usual under the new sheriff in town.

To show the government has a human face, it opened a three-month restitution window to address complaints and feedback indicating cases of extenuating circumstances.

But still basking in the euphoria of an ego that has outlived its era, Davis discouraged his partners from taking advantage of these opportunities for remorse. Instead, he threatened to exploit his global networks to frustrate the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He wasn’t joking. He launched a global disinformation campaign from his native Australia to Canada, from the United States to Europe. However, his lies evaporated as soon as the facts were laid bare.

Davis pulled his most ambitious stunt so far during Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official visit to the United Kingdom in March this year, when he polluted the air with narratives designed to set Nigeria against the West by spreading blatant falsehoods and playing the victim.

But, as he found out to his misery, the whole public relations game was dead on arrival. A comprehensive statement clarifying the issues to the highly intelligent British media sent him into the cold.

All we ask is that journalists refer to the eternal maxim of the journalism profession whenever Davis knocks on their door: if in doubt, leave it out.

When a story like this betrays so many contradictions, the rule is not to encourage its spread. Every responsible journalist has the moral duty to kill it.

Kehinde Bamigbetan is a Journalist and Special Adviser to Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria

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