The League Management Company (LMC) is no longer recognised by the federal government as the Nigeria Professional Football League's operator (NPFL).
Ismaila Abubakar, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry for the Development of Youth and Sports, made this announcement in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
He emphasised the decision's immediate effect and said it was made in response to a number of unpleasant events involving the National Football League's (NFL) management, notably the NFL's designation as an illegal organisation by a court.
According to Abubakar, the government also took into account the LMC's status and the NFL's successor-in-title falling beyond the scope of the Nigeria Football Federation's laws (NFF).
“This decision has become necessary because of the obvious aberration (which is at variance with our football statutes or the laws of the land) whereby a private company is gifted the mandate to manage or run the league indefinitely, without the full involvement of and leadership by the clubs, and devoid of any process to monitor the progress and development of the game,” the statement said.
“Sequel to the above, and in order to rescue our domestic football from total collapse, the Board of the LMC and the LMC as a body would no longer be recognised by the Federal Government as operator of the Nigerian Professional Football League.
“To avert further chaos in our domestic football, the NFF is advised to immediately withdraw the licence given to the LMC and, in the meantime, set up an Interim Management Committee (IMC), to include the current Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the LMC to oversee the affairs of the league until a proper Professional League Board is constituted in accordance with the statutes of the NFF.”