NFF Election Candidates Enter Document-Regularisation Window Ahead of September 27 Poll
By Cynthia Okere, Lagos
Candidates seeking positions on the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation have entered the document-regularisation phase of the electoral process ahead of the NFF Elective Congress scheduled for September 27, 2026, in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Under the timetable released by the NFF Electoral Committee, candidates whose submitted documents contain irregularities have between August 20 and 27 to correct the identified issues before the screening stage.
The regularisation exercise follows the August 13–19 period during which candidates were to be notified of irregularities discovered in their submissions.
Nomination forms for the election went on sale on August 1, while August 12 was fixed as the deadline for completed forms to be submitted.
According to the electoral roadmap, screening of candidates is scheduled for August 27 to 30, after which the provisional list of cleared candidates will be published on August 31.
Candidates disqualified during the process will have between September 1 and 3 to lodge appeals, while the Electoral Appeals Committee is expected to determine the appeals between September 4 and 10.
The final list of cleared candidates is scheduled for publication between September 11 and 12, followed by the delegates’ list on September 13.
Cleared candidates will then be allowed to campaign from September 14 to 24 before the Elective Congress on September 27.
The congress was initially scheduled for September 26 but was shifted by one day following the scheduling of Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Madagascar for September 25.
The NFF said the adjustment was necessary because a number of candidates are expected to attend the Super Eagles match and would have faced difficulty reaching Lafia in time for a congress the following morning.
The electoral process is, however, unfolding amid uncertainty over the future of the exercise following reports of moves by the National Sports Commission to reorganise the country’s football administration.
As of the NFF’s published electoral roadmap, the September 27 Elective Congress remains the stated date for the election, making developments between the federation, sports authorities and other football stakeholders important in the weeks ahead.