Just as the standoff between the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and Kun Khalifa FC, one of only four privately owned clubs in the 2025/26 season, alongside Remo Stars, Ikorodu City, and Barau FC, appeared to have been resolved, another top-flight side, Niger Tornadoes FC, has also allegedly threatened to pull out of the ongoing league.
Unlike Kun Khalifa FC, which is privately owned by an individual investor, Niger Tornadoes FC is one of the many clubs in the Nigeria Premier Football League that is owned and funded by a state government.
While private clubs like Kun Khalifa, Remo Stars, Ikorodu City, and Barau FC make up only a small minority of the teams in the 2025/26 NPFL season, Niger Tornadoes is backed by the government of Niger State, reflecting the league’s broader structure where most clubs are state-owned rather than privately held.
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The ongoing turmoil in Nigeria’s top-flight football, marked by disputes between the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and some club managements, is deeply regrettable and must be stopped without delay.
Recent clashes, including the controversy over sanctions on Kun Khalifat FC that briefly led to the club’s dramatic exit announcement, and Niger Tornadoes FC threatening to withdraw from the league after the NPFL banned their home stadium for not meeting broadcast standards, reflect persistent communication breakdowns and governance challenges that risk undermining the integrity and progress of the competition.
These sad and unfortunate developments point to a troubling breakdown in dialogue and governance, exposing serious lapses in communication and leadership that ultimately undermine the stability, credibility, and professionalism of the competition.
Such disputes between both parties not only divert attention from the true essence of the game but also erode the credibility, integrity, and professionalism of the league, leaving fans, stakeholders, and investors increasingly disillusioned.
Coming at a time when Nigerian football is striving for growth, stability, and international recognition, incidents of this nature send the wrong signals to stakeholders and potential investors.
Instead of showcasing progress and professionalism, these incidents lay bare internal weaknesses that continue to impede development.
It is therefore imperative for all stakeholders to embrace transparency, strengthen communication channels, and strictly adhere to established regulations and due process, in order to rebuild trust, restore confidence, and prevent a recurrence of such avoidable crises.
The NPFL must be seen as a well-structured and professionally managed competition, where grievances are addressed through established channels rather than through the neglect of clubs’ legitimate concerns, which often escalates into public confrontation.
Only through mutual respect, constructive engagement, and responsible leadership can the league remain on its path of growth and earn the confidence it truly deserves.
This unfortunate situation unfolded at a critical stage of the season, with the league already beyond its midway point.
Had the crisis not been swiftly contained, it could have dealt a serious blow to public trust, driven away sponsors, and further pushed fans toward European and other African leagues, to the detriment of local football development.
Fortunately, the club’s brief withdrawal was later reversed following talks with league organisers, although the episode had already disrupted fixture planning and reignited long-standing debates about fairness, transparency, and governance within the NPFL.
If situations like this are not handled professionally and transparently, they risk alienating fans, commercial partners, and key stakeholders, while further damaging the image and stability of Nigeria’s top flight.
Ultimately, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for strong leadership and timely intervention to safeguard the integrity of the league and restore confidence in the domestic game.
What initially appeared to be a minor disagreement quickly escalated after the league board reportedly failed to adequately address Kun Khalifa’s concerns.
Kun Khalifa’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michael Amaefula, announced the club’s withdrawal from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), citing a competition that “disregards the challenges faced by its member clubs and prioritises punishment over fairness and justice.”
The decision came after the Imo-based club was sanctioned for failing to travel to Maiduguri for their matchday 24 fixture against El-Kanemi Warriors on February 2, 2026. The NPFL docked three points, nullified goals scored, and imposed a N10 million fine, the penalties Kun Khalifa deemed excessively harsh.
The incident highlighted rising tensions between league management and some clubs, raising concerns about fairness, transparency, and governance in Nigeria’s top-flight football.
The dispute ultimately led Kun Khalifa to consider drastic action, including a temporary exit from the league, in protest against what it described as a system that prioritises punishment over support for struggling clubs.
The club stated that it had formally communicated its challenges to the NPFL, including “the breakdown of our team’s vehicles,” but claimed the board failed to acknowledge or respond. It also accused the league of “unilaterally” rescheduling the match, calling the move unfair and lacking proper consultation.
In a statement, the club described the decision to forfeit three points and three goals, alongside a N10 million fine, as “disproportionate” and evidence of bias against Kun Khalifa.
The leadership argued that such punitive measures, applied without consideration of the club’s operational realities, reflect a broader pattern of neglect and raise serious questions about fairness, transparency, and governance within the league.
Kun Khalifa described the sanctions as unjust and called on the NPFL to engage clubs fairly and transparently.
The club urged the league to review its policies to ensure equitable treatment, called for reforms and greater accountability, and highlighted the unique challenges faced by privately owned teams, which require support and collaboration rather than punishment.
In August last year, Kun Khalifa FC had appealed for public donations to meet the financial demands of competing in the NPFL, admitting that the team might struggle to honour away games without support.
Recently, however, the club reversed its earlier decision to withdraw from the 2025/26 season, citing “positive discussions with the League Management Board.”
Kun Khalifa’s CEO, Mr. Michael Amaefula, confirmed that constructive dialogue with the NPFL had resolved the club’s differences with the league, allowing the team to return to competition.
Fully reinstated, Kun Khalifa FC is set to return to the league and the club has called on fans in Owerri and beyond to rally behind the team.
At this critical stage, the team needs the backing of its supporters more than ever to secure a positive result,” the club stated, underlining the vital role of fan engagement in boosting player morale and performance.
Going forward, the NPFL and the League Management Committee (LMC), under the supervisory authority of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), must adopt a more consultative, transparent, and empathetic governance framework that balances regulation with realism, especially in a league where operational challenges are widely known.
First, the NPFL should institutionalise a clear crisis-management and dispute-resolution mechanism that allows clubs to formally present operational difficulties, such as logistics, security, or financial constraints, before sanctions are imposed.
Such a mechanism, supervised by an independent technical and compliance panel within the LMC, would ensure that each case is examined on its merits.
This will prevent perceptions of bias or arbitrariness, as witnessed in the Kun Khalifa episode, and reassure clubs like Niger Tornadoes and others that fairness, not punishment, is the guiding principle of league administration.
Secondly, improved communication protocols must be enforced. All fixture rescheduling, disciplinary decisions, and sanctions should follow documented consultation with affected clubs, except in emergencies clearly defined by the league rules.
The breakdown in communication that escalated the Kun Khalifa matter into a public standoff underscores the need for structured engagement channels between league management and club executives.
Regular stakeholders’ meetings, quarterly or mid-season should be mandatory, creating space for grievances to be aired and resolved internally rather than through public confrontation.
Thirdly, the NPFL and NFF should jointly review the sanctions framework to ensure proportionality and consistency.
While discipline is essential to protect competitive integrity, penalties must reflect the realities of Nigerian football logistics, security concerns, and funding limitations.
Excessively punitive measures, particularly when mitigating circumstances exist, risk alienating clubs and discouraging private investment.
A graduated sanctions model, warnings, conditional penalties, or deferred fines, would better serve the league’s long-term stability than immediate, heavy financial punishments.
Furthermore, the league authorities must deliberately support and protect privately owned clubs, including Kun Khalifa FC, Barau FC, Remo Stars, Ikorodu City, and others, as strategic partners in football development.
These clubs represent the future of professional football in Nigeria by reducing dependence on government funding.
Rather than treating them with suspicion or rigidity, the NPFL should introduce incentive-based policies, advisory support, and limited operational assistance that encourage sustainability, compliance, and growth.
This approach will also reassure other potential investors that the NPFL is a safe and professionally run environment.
At the level of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), there is a pressing need for stronger oversight and effective mediation to ensure that disputes within the league are resolved fairly and professionally.
However, such involvement must be carefully balanced to avoid undue interference in the day-to-day management of clubs or the league itself.
The NFF’s role should be to provide guidance, enforce regulations consistently, and facilitate dialogue between stakeholders, fostering accountability and transparency without undermining the autonomy of the NPFL or its member clubs.
The Federation should act as an impartial arbiter when disputes between the league body and clubs threaten competition integrity or public confidence.
Early intervention by the NFF could prevent disagreements from escalating into withdrawals or legal confrontations, as nearly occurred in this case.
Such oversight reinforces institutional checks and balances without undermining the authority of the league board.
In relation to clubs like Niger Tornadoes FC and others indirectly affected by fixture disruptions, the NPFL must prioritise competitive fairness and scheduling stability.
Any decision involving withdrawals, reinstatements, or overturned sanctions should be communicated transparently to all clubs, with clear explanations to prevent suspicion or resentment.
Protecting the interests of uninvolved teams is crucial for maintaining harmony, fairness, and trust across the league.
Ensuring that disputes between certain clubs and league management do not negatively impact others helps preserve the integrity of the competition, reassures stakeholders, and reinforces confidence among fans, sponsors, and all member clubs.
Ultimately, the Kun Khalifa FC episode should serve as a learning point rather than a lingering scar.
The constructive dialogue that led to the club’s reinstatement demonstrates that engagement works better than confrontation.
By moving away from an “army-style” command approach and embracing inclusive, professional sports governance, the NPFL and NFF can strengthen institutional credibility, retain fan interest, attract sponsors, and reposition the Nigeria Professional Football League as a competition driven by fairness, accountability, and shared responsibility.
Instead of penalizing private clubs, the NPFL should foster an environment of support, fair governance, and transparency to encourage private investment.
This approach would strengthen existing teams, attract new resources and talent, and help raise the overall standard and sustainability of Nigerian football.
