The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nationwide League One (NLO) Club Chairmen have distanced themselves from the purported NLO Clubs Progressive Chairmen Forum, pledging their allegiance to the leadership of the NLO, which they said remains the sole custodian of grassroots football in Nigeria.
The chairmen, in a communiqué issued after a meeting held in Abuja, declared their full support for the statutes governing the league, saying that any group operating outside the framework of the NLO lacks legitimacy and describing the so-called Progressive Club Chairmen Forum as “unpopular and illegitimate” among NLO clubs in the capital city.
The meeting, attended by representatives of over 33 NLO clubs in the FCT, expressed strong reservations about the intentions behind the formation of the Forum, saying the agenda of the group appears to have been conceived without proper consultation and does not align with the developmental goals of the league.
The North Central representative on the NLO Board, Babatunde Akintade, while speaking to journalists after the event, emphasised that all activities of the League are guided strictly by the statutes of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), noting that the NFF derives its authority from its Congress, which remains the highest decision-making body in Nigerian football.
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While arguing that l the Forum does not operate under the authority of either the NFF or the NLO, and as such, FCT-based clubs do not recognise its existence or activities, Akintade added that the clubs would resist any attempt to disrupt the smooth organisation of the league season.
The chairmen reiterated their commitment to the approved governance structure of the NLO, as outlined in statutes ratified by the NFF Congress and also underscored the powers of the League’s Secretariat to disregard any group falsely claiming to represent NLO clubs.
Reaffirming their position, the FCT NLO clubs pledged continued adherence to Articles 8 and 9 of the league statutes, which mandate all registered clubs to comply fully with NLO rules and the broader NFF regulations.
