Sports

NPFL alerts Public to Spurious Broadcast Rights Claims by Total Promotions

Published

2 years ago

November 21, 2023

In its first formal reaction to a certain Total Promotions laying claims to the Broadcast rights of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), the League body has asked the general public and it’s existing and potential partners to disregard the claims.

In a statement titled, “Re-Clarifications Regarding Claims made by Total Promotions”, the Nigeria Premier League Limited/Gte described the claims as total unfounded with no legal validity.

“We wish to reiterate that these claims made by ‘Total Promotions Limited’ are entirely unfounded, factually incorrect and devoid of any legal validity”, Secretary to the NPL Board, Danladi Ibrahim wrote.

The Lawyer offered judicial backing of the expressed position of the NPFL with a reference to a 2010 judgement by a Federal High Court Judge who ordered liquidation of the Nigeria Football League Limited, the body that granted Broadcast rights to Total Promotions in 2006.

“Note that in Suit No. FHC/ ABJ/ CS/179/2010 (Sam Jaja vs Nigeria Football League Ltd and four others), Justice Okorowo of the Federal High Court gave a judgement ordering the mandatory winding up of NFL Limited, the entity that granted the Broadcast rights to Total Promotions”

He posited that the 2010 judgement invalidated all rights assigned to Total Promotions. “By the judgement, all rights assigned to Total Promotions by the Nigeria Football League Ltd became extinguished as the later was consequently stripped of the licensed to organise a league”, the statement continued.

Relying on positions of the law on contracts, the NPFL canvassed that “the concept of ‘frustration of contract’ and ‘force majeure’ are recognised under Nigeria’s Contract Laws.

“The execution of the contract between Total Promotions and NFL Limited became impossible after the later became insolvent and was wound up by the Court.”

The NPFL also wondered how Total Promotions could still be laying claims to the NPFL Broadcast rights when the contract it was relying on has expired and the entity that assigned the rights is dead based on a court order.

“Besides the fact that the contract for the said Broadcast rights granted Total Promotions has expired, the entity that granted the rights is dead by virtue of the cited Court order”, the Board Secretary further declared.

It is to be noted that the Nigeria Premier League Limited/Gte (with RC No. 6862169) was incorporated at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on February 2, 2023 and licensed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to organise the Nigeria Premier Football League.

The NPL Limited is not a successor in title to any previous company. It is also on record that the defunct League Management Company (LMC) had a running legal Confrontation with Total Promotions and prevailed in suits filed in different jurisdictions by the company.

Public commentators have been asking if Total Promotions own a lifetime right to the league broadcast and noted with concern that the company has no record of broadcast production, no equipment and no broadcast platforms.

At the time they kept the rights between 2006 to 2011, they outsourced the match productions to Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) showing one game per week.

The company has acquired a reputation for irritant confrontation to companies seeking to partner the league over the years by writing threat letters and publishing newspaper advertisement aiming to scare off corporate organisations from the league.

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Sports

Onikeku Re-elected to Represent Military and Paramilitary on AFN Board

Published

2 hours ago

June 6, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

Renowned athletics administrator and Sports Secretary of the Nigeria Customs Service, Samuel Onikeku, has been re-elected as the Military and Paramilitary Representative on the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

The election, held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, brought together key stakeholders from Nigeria’s military and paramilitary sporting units.

Onikeku, who served as Technical Director on the outgoing AFN board and previously held the same representative position, was returned unopposed — a clear endorsement of his leadership and unwavering commitment to the development of athletics within the armed services and beyond..

Speaking shortly after his re-election on Thursday, Onikeku expressed gratitude to his colleagues for the renewed mandate, promising to continue championing the interests of military and paramilitary athletes within the AFN framework.“I am honored by this re-election and deeply appreciate the confidence reposed in me. My focus will remain on fostering discipline, excellence, and opportunity for athletes across all services, while strengthening synergy with the civilian athletics community,” he stated.

Onikeku, who also serves as the Sports Secretary of the Nigeria Customs Service, has been instrumental in discovering and nurturing top talent from military and paramilitary institutions to represent Nigeria at national and international competitions.

His leadership is credited with improving coordination between the Nigeria Customs Service, other sports units, and the AFN, while also driving initiatives aimed at identifying and grooming young athletes from security formations.

The AFN board, which includes representatives from various zones, stakeholders, and institutional blocs, plays a key role in shaping the strategic direction of track and field sports in Nigeria. With his re-election, Onikeku is expected to continue leveraging his experience, discipline, and structured leadership to further reposition athletics as a vital pillar of Nigeria’s sporting success.

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