Club Owners confirm NPFL draw boycott to protest abridged league format

The commencement of 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL season on January 8, 2023 is no guarantees following a fresh round of protest from representatives of participating clubs.

The latest impasse is rising from the proposed format to be adopted for the new NPFL season, creating fresh dispute between stakeholders of the league, notably the Interim Management Committee and the club managers.

And this is coming just days after Nigeria Referee Association also threatened a boycott, citing over three years accumulated match indemnities owed to them under the defunct League Management Company.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the topflight’s Football Club Owners Association of Nigeria (Club Owners), revealed that that member-clubs had in a joint meeting with the IMC unanimously voted for a full league with 16+1 votes, to 3 votes,  and against a proposal for an abridged league.

“This is to bring to your notice that we are in receipt of the above circular inviting clubs for the 2023 NPFL draws on abridged league format,” the statement signed by Barrister Isaac Danladi on Sunday.

“Consequently, I wish to further inform members and state categorically that this is not in consonance with the joint decision of clubs and IMC at the last meeting of Wednesday 21st Dec 2022 whereby it was agreed inter-alia that the abridged league proposed by IMC and the straight league which was overwhelmingly proposed by the clubs would be communicated to NFF by the IMC for further necessary action.

“We are therefore perplexed and amazed that just few hours after the meeting, IMC came up with a circular fixing 28th December as date for draws based on abridge league format.”

The Association however, revealed they are open to further negotiations to sort the impasse and improve the game.

“We wish to categorically dissociate ourselves with the circular and state firmly that clubs would not be part of the draws on 28th December 2022, neither would we participate in an abridged league,” the statement continued.

“The clubs remain resolute in our quest to have a better league that will endure, hence we cannot be part of an arrangement that will not be beneficial to football development in Nigeria.

“In view of the above, a meeting of the club Owners is being proposed for 28th December 2022 in Asaba Delta state to review matters arising among other things.

“Details of the meeting and other logistics will be announced soonest, please. We appreciate members for their patience and good conducts since this saga started.”