EXCLUSIVE: Elegbeleye set to return as NPFL chairman amid NFF reforms
Gbenga Elegbeleye is set to return as chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on an interim basis as part of the ongoing reforms of Nigerian football.
A top government official, who spoke to Made In Africa Sport on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Elegbeleye will return to the position he previously held, with an interim management structure expected to oversee the league pending the constitution of a new board.
Made In Africa Sport had earlier reported that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) directed the chairmen, appointed directors and chief executive officers of the NPFL, Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women‘s Football League (NWFL) and Nationwide League One (NLO) to hand over the administration of their respective leagues.
On Friday, August 28, a day after the directive, the NFF announced Ayo Abdulrahaman as the NPFL’s chief operating officer as the 2026/27 season got underway in Ibadan.
Additional reporting by veteran journalist Tolu Oguntimehin also indicated that Elegbeleye would be reinstated in an interim capacity.
“Gbenga Elegbeleye will return as NPFL chairman pending the election of a new board,” Oguntimehin wrote on X.
“Elegbeleye will oversee the league with Interim Management.”
Elegbeleye, a former deputy chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth and Sports and former director-general of the National Sports Commission (NSC), is no stranger to the leadership of the NPFL.
He was appointed chairman of the league’s Interim Management Committee on October 21, 2022, before becoming substantive chairman of the NPFL board on July 21, 2023.
His previous experience at the helm of the league means he returns with an understanding of the responsibilities and challenges involved in running Nigeria’s top-flight competition.
His expected return comes at a critical period, with the NFF pursuing wider administrative reforms across Nigerian football.
The immediate priority will be to provide stability and continuity to the NPFL while the broader restructuring process takes shape. Elegbeleye will be expected to oversee the league’s operations and maintain its momentum while the process of constituting a new board is completed.
The development is another major step in the ongoing restructuring of Nigerian football, with attention now turning to how the interim arrangement will operate and what it will mean for the future administration of the NPFL.