The former chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye has been appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League board.
According to a statement from Director of Communication, Ademola Olajire, Elegbeleye, a former deputy chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth and Sports, and also a former Director-General of the National Sports Commission, headed the IMC that brilliantly executed the last NPFL season and the Super 6, drawing high praise from the NFF and stakeholders in general.
With Elegbeleye on the new NPFL board are Mallam Mohammed Nasiru Sa’idu (Member); Barr. Poubeni Ogun (Member); Mr. Daniel Amokachi (Member); Dr. Okey Kpalukwu (Member); Mallam Suleiman Umar (Member) and; Mr. Dominic Iorfa (Member).
The Secretary/Legal Adviser is Barr. Danlami Ibrahim while the Chief Operating Officer is Prince Davidson Owumi.
The new NPFL board has a two-year tenure, same as the boards of the Nigeria National League, the Nigeria Women Football League and the Nigeria Nation-Wide League One that were inaugurated on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Premier League Club Owners Association has commended the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau for appointing Elegbeleye as the league’s chairman.
Speaking on behalf of the Association yesterday, Kpalukwu said club owners are looking forward to work with Elegbeleye to build a virile league.
“The Club Owners Association of Nigeria is delighted with the visionary leadership exemplified so far by the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau on the constitution of a new board for the Nigeria Premier League and the appointment of Honorable Gbenga Elegbeleye as chairman.
“This is the reward for the great job he did with the IMC last season. As club owners we are looking forward to a symbiotic relationship when the new season commences. He’s a man driven by vision and we congratulate him and his new board,” he said.
Kpalukwu who is on the new NPL board alongside two members of the Club Owners Association, Alhaji Suleiman Umar and Dominic Iorfa, also commended the NFF for the return of Davidson Owumi as Head of Operations alongside former IMC members that includes Mallam Mohammed Nasiru Sa’idu (Member); Barr. Poubeni Ogun (Member) and Mr. Daniel Amokachi (Member). He prayed for a crisis-free season that will see to the consolidation on the gains of last season.
It will be recalled that the Club Owners also had their election on Monday in Abuja where the Rivers United General Manager, Kpalukwu was elected chairman with Alhaji Suleiman Umar of Doma United of Gombe and Honourable Kunle Soname of Remo Stars of Ikenne emerging Vice chairmen north and south in the new executive committee.
Sporting Lagos chairman, Godwin Enakhena was elected General Secretary and Ferdinand Ugwuarua of Rangers International of Enugu as the body’s Coordinator.
