Adebajo Urges Tinubu To Invoke FIFA Article 8.2 For True NFF Reforms
Super Stores and Flaming Flamingoes chairman, Adetilewa Adebajo, has called for FIFA-led reforms in Nigerian football, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to initiate the process for the application of Article 8.2 of the FIFA Statutes.
Adebajo made the call following the resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Board and the recent intervention of the Presidency in the country’s football administration.
In a statement issued on Friday, August 28, 2026, Adebajo welcomed the Presidency’s directive for relevant football stakeholders to engage in a broad consultative process aimed at ensuring continuity in football administration and facilitating comprehensive reforms.
However, he believes the opportunity should be used to pursue fundamental changes to the structure and administration of Nigerian football rather than simply replacing the existing leadership.
“Our position is that football administration should be led by football clubs and managed as a commercial enterprise, in line with proven global models,” Adebajo stated.
He called for a review of existing commercially restrictive football laws and the establishment of a Football Charter for football clubs, citing frameworks developed for professional bodies such as the NBA and ICAN as possible models.
Adebajo also proposed that Nigeria’s national football teams be designated as national assets as part of the legislative process.
The football administrator, who described Super Stores and Flaming Flamingoes as Nigeria’s oldest surviving private football club, said the club was ready to contribute to the reform process.
He revealed that a comprehensive reform proposal had already been submitted to FIFA for review and critique.
Adebajo Seeks FIFA Normalisation Committee
Central to Adebajo’s proposal is the activation of Article 8.2 of the FIFA Statutes, which provides for the replacement of the executive bodies of a member association with a normalisation committee under exceptional circumstances, subject to FIFA’s established procedures.
“We are now calling on the Presidency for the activation of FIFA Statutes Article 8.2,” he said.
Adebajo argued that a FIFA Normalisation Committee would provide a credible framework for overseeing the reform process while promoting transparency, accountability and broader stakeholder participation.
He particularly wants private football clubs to have a meaningful role in discussions about the future structure of Nigerian football.
The call places the ongoing NFF leadership crisis within a wider debate about the governance, commercialisation and institutional development of Nigerian football.
For Adebajo, the current transition represents an opportunity to move beyond short-term administrative changes and establish a more transparent, accountable and commercially sustainable football system in Nigeria.
The proposed FIFA-led approach, he believes, could provide the independent framework needed to rebuild confidence in Nigerian football administration and create a stronger foundation for the sport’s long-term development.
