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Football is being led to the slaughterhouse according to Harrison Jalla even as the sport’s power brokers remain fixated on an election scheduled for September 27, 2026.
That election is already under judicial review, with cases pending before the Court of Appeal (Suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/1120/2026) and the Federal High Court (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1755/2026), both demanding reform and enforcement of outstanding court judgments.
According to Jalla, the supervisory body is not willing to intervene. “The National Sports Commission and the two chambers of the National Assembly have all the evidence they need,” said Prince Harrison Jalla, Chairman of the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reforms Initiative. “Yet they continue to watch from the sidelines as Nigerian football is being led to the slaughterhouse.”
Two presidential directives calling for comprehensive reform remain unimplemented, despite constitutional oversight powers held by the NSC, the House Committee on Sports, and the Senate Committee on Sports.
Jalla placed much of the blame on the State Football Association chairmen, who have controlled the sport since 2008. “They have shown clearly over the years that they lack the capacity to move Nigerian football forward, simply because they cannot give what they do not have,” he said. “Who would participate in an election that is predetermined? Only the beneficiaries of such a skewed process.”
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to treat football as a serious economic asset. “Football is a huge industry that can be central to Nigeria’s economic growth, if it is placed in the right hands,” Jalla said.
He warned that continued inaction carries real risk. The earlier the Federal Government intervenes in this administrative crisis and entrenched corruption, the better,” he said. “Otherwise, we may soon find ourselves in a situation where self-help could lead to a breakdown of law and order.”
“It cannot be business as usual this time around,” he added.
