The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has shifted its 2026 Elective Congress by one day, moving the event from Saturday, September 26, to Sunday, September 27, in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.

The change was endorsed unanimously during an extraordinary virtual General Assembly convened on Wednesday, with a motion moved and seconded before members voted in favour.

Why the date changed

NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON) explained that the rescheduling became unavoidable after the Super Eagles' opening fixture in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers was confirmed against Madagascar on Friday, September 25, 2026.

The Group L encounter, confirmed in consultation with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), falls just one day before the original Congress date — creating a direct logistical problem for several candidates in the election who are expected to be involved with the national team during that match.

Gusau noted that travelling from the match venue to Lafia in time for an early Congress the following morning would have been practically impossible for those individuals, threatening a level playing field for all stakeholders.

What the congress will decide

The Elective Congress will usher in a new NFF Executive Committee that will govern Nigerian football for the next four years. The NFF Executive Committee proposed the 24-hour shift to resolve the conflict, and members of the extraordinary General Assembly approved the adjustment without dissent.