<h1><span style="color: rgb(31, 41, 55); font-weight: normal;">Gusau announced his resignation at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, August 27, 2026, saying the decision followed consultations with his family, friends and stakeholders within the football community.</span></h1><p>His resignation came 34 days before the scheduled end of his four-year tenure. Gusau was elected NFF president in September 2022.</p><p>The NFF confirmed that General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation's Executive Committee had also resigned, creating a significant leadership transition within Nigerian football.</p><p>Gusau said his decision was taken in what he described as the overriding interest of Nigerian football and with the aim of creating room for a comprehensive reform process.</p><p>The leadership crisis follows a difficult period for Nigeria's national teams. The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a penalty shootout during the African qualifying play-off.</p><p>The Super Falcons also suffered a historic setback by failing to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. Nigeria had qualified for every edition of the women's tournament since its establishment in 1991.</p><p>The Falcons entered the recent Women's Africa Cup of Nations as defending champions but were eliminated by Cameroon in the quarter-finals before subsequently losing 2–1 to South Africa in the World Cup play-off.</p><p>The setbacks triggered intense calls for accountability and reforms within the country's football administration. The NFF had also established a fact-finding committee to examine the national teams' recent performances.</p><p>Gusau, however, defended the record of his administration, pointing to progress in areas including coaching education, domestic league administration, refereeing and infrastructure development.</p><p>Following the resignations, Nigeria's National Sports Commission endorsed former NFF Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme to oversee the federation's secretariat as interim General Secretary. Ademola Olajire, a former Director of Media and Communications, was appointed interim Deputy General Secretary.</p><p>The NFF has also suspended preparations for its elective congress, which had been scheduled for September 27. According to the federation, a fresh electoral process will begin after comprehensive reforms are undertaken in consultation with FIFA, CAF, the Nigerian government and other stakeholders.</p><p>The transition is expected to focus on addressing governance, administration, financial accountability, domestic competitions and the development of Nigerian football.</p><p>Gusau's resignation therefore marks a major turning point for the NFF as authorities seek to stabilise the federation and restore confidence following a series of disappointing results involving the country's senior national teams.</p><p>Photo courtesy: Ibrahim Gusau, ghnews.</p>