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Confusion In NPFL: League to resume next month-LMC, Club Owners Votes To End Season With PPG

Published

5 years ago

June 22, 2020

Justina Akanbi

Reactions have trailed the voting conducted by the Club Owners Association of Nigerian, COAN, on Sunday, to end the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL season with the PPG while no team would be relegated.

On Sunday night, 17 out of the 20 club owners voted to end the league via Point Per Match, PPG system.

The voting and decision came weeks after League Management Company Chairman; Malam Shehu Dikko announced that the Nigeria Football Federation might adopt a Super Six Playoff to end the league.

But in a twist of the event Sunday, the club owners met and voted to end the league as well as declaring that there would be no promoted or relegated teams from or to the NPFL.

In a swift reaction, one of the clubs which abstained from the meeting, Lobi Starts of Markudi have alleged that the voting process was manipulated by the leadership of COAN to achieve a predetermined plan.

In a very strongly worded long press release on Monday signed by the Club’s media officer, Austin Tyowua, the club dissociated itself from the purported election and questioned its credibility as well as the result therefrom

The club wondered how information for a meeting with such voting agenda to end the league could be communicated to the club owners same the day the meeting and voting took place.

“To buttress our conviction that the result of the voting was premeditated;

“How can you explain a situation where 18 out of 20 of the NPFL Clubs, wholly owned and funded by State Governments with decision-making boards and a decision as crucial as voting on ending the league will be communicated to Club chairmen same day on a non-working day and the voting the process was still expected to take place the same day as if the Chairmen are not accountable to other authorities. Another pointer that laid validity to the strong suspicion of premeditation of the entire process,” the club said.

Lobi further called on the minister of sports and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF to disregard the outcome of the election and consider the situation on merit.

“We hereby call on the Minister of Sports and The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to disregard the charade displayed by the club owners in an attempt to perpetrate the PPG illegality, look at the merit of the matter and make sure a fair and conventional option is arrived at.”

The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) will resume in July, with the League Management Company (LMC) getting the go-ahead to restart the season and jettisoning the proposed Point Per Game (PPG).

The Gleamer Online News gathered authoritatively that the NPFL would go ahead with the teams playing all remaining matches including those with outstanding games before the suspension of the league due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the source did not indicate how the matches would be played, especially taking into consideration the Federal Government’s the interstate travel ban, he nonetheless said the position of the Youth and Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, is that the NPFL will resume next month while all other leagues; the Nigeria National League, the Nigeria Nationwide League and the women’s league has been officially declared ended.

It was gathered that the Nigeria Club Owners had proposed for the NPFL to end with the PPG while no team would be relegated but our a source in the ministry said the minister was not favorably disposed to the idea, considering the litigations that had dogged the French Ligue after the country’s football body announced the abrupt conclusion of the season.

It was also not clear whether the teams will gather in a city to play the proposed Super 6 initially propounded by the chairman of the LMC, Mallam Shehu Dikko. It would be recalled that Benin, Edo State capital was mooted as a venue for the proposed Super 6, raising concern how the league body would cope with the influx of players and officials of all the six teams in the face of the rampaging coronavirus pandemic.

However, Plateau United Football Club may be declared winners of the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League season after 17 chairmen of clubs voted that the season should come to a premature end due to the Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world.

It seems likely that Plateau United the 2017 NPFL Champions will be named winners of the 2019/2020 season without officially winning the title.

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Nigeria’s Historic Bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games: A Call for National and Global Support

Published

5 days ago

September 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria is poised to make history as it seeks to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, a monumental opportunity that promises to transform the nation’s economy, infrastructure, and global standing.

More than a sporting spectacle, the Games would serve as a catalyst for development across multiple sectors, leaving behind a legacy of national pride and sustainable growth.

The benefits of hosting the Games extend far beyond the sports arena. Nigeria stands to gain both empirical and non-empirical advantages, with direct, indirect, and induced impacts that will touch every corner of society. Infrastructural development will take center stage, with new facilities such as indoor sports halls, conference centers, and improved road networks reshaping urban landscapes while strengthening the nation’s capacity to host future international events.

Economic growth is another significant dividend. Over 10,000 jobs are expected to be created, spanning construction, facility management, event planning, and tourism services.

The hospitality industry will undergo major improvements as hotels and resorts are upgraded to meet international standards, while local restaurants, lounges, and tourist attractions will see a surge in patronage from international visitors. Small and medium enterprises, particularly in the transport, finance, and food service sectors, will become some of the greatest beneficiaries, as the Games generate new demand and expand opportunities for local businesses.
The Commonwealth Games will also accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s sports industry.

Investments in training facilities, coaching, and talent development will inspire a new generation of athletes, ensuring long-term benefits that extend beyond 2030, a major focus of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
At the same time, the process of preparing for the Games will create opportunities for Nigerians to learn new crafts, acquire technical skills, and engage in global-standard event management, thereby strengthening human capacity and innovation across industries.

Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission, and Hon. Bukola Olopade, the Director General, have been widely recognized for their tireless and visionary leadership in repositioning Nigeria’s sporting sector.

Their commitment to facilitating infrastructural development and strengthening grassroots sports development has laid the foundation for Nigeria’s bold bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Under their leadership, the NSC is fostering strategic partnerships and driving innovation in sports administration, they have demonstrated the nation’s readiness to stage an event of such global magnitude.

Beyond the tangible gains, the hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games carries profound symbolic value. It would be a moment of unity and pride, a chance for Nigeria to showcase its cultural richness, resilience, and excellence to the world.
As a centenary edition, the Games would stand as a historic milestone not just for the Commonwealth but for Nigeria itself, cementing its place on the global stage as a capable, ambitious, and forward-looking nation.

The gains from hosting the Commonwealth Games can never be undermined or overemphasized. This is Nigeria’s time to step forward and show the world our resilience, and excellence. We call on every Nigerian, across sectors and communities, to support this noble aspiration.

Nigeria’s pursuit of the 2030 Commonwealth Games is a vision for transformation, a blueprint for national development, and a legacy project that will inspire generations to come.

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