By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Nigeria Football Federation has officially begun preparations for its 2026 electoral process with the announcement that Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, will host the federation’s Extraordinary General Assembly that will set up the electoral committee today, The Punch reports.
The federation announced on Sunday that the assembly will appoint members of the NFF Electoral Committee and the Electoral Appeals Committee, as well as select an Independent Auditor to oversee the federation’s governance and compliance.
They added that officials from FIFA and the CAF are already in Nigeria to observe proceedings and ensure that the electoral process aligns with international standards.
The NFF conducts elections every four years during its Annual General Assembly in September, with the next vote scheduled for the 82nd Annual General Assembly in a city to be announced.
Ibrahim Gusau, who currently leads the federation, was elected on September 30, 2022, during the 78th NFF Annual General Assembly in Benin City, Edo State.
The extraordinary gathering in Yenagoa will bring together all chairmen and secretaries of Nigeria’s 36 state football associations and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside members of the NFF Executive Committee, management, league officials, and representatives from the Coaches, Referees, and Players’ Associations.
The NFF added that Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, is expected to declare the assembly open at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall, Government House, with top officials, including Chairman of the National Sports Commission Shehu Dikko, Director General of the NSC Bukola Olopade, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports Abdul Ningi, Chairman of the House Committee on Sports Kabiru Amadu, scheduled to be in attendance.
Gusau is expected to deliver a welcome address to the plenary before the business session, which will focus on proposed amendments to the federation’s statutes, the Electoral Code, and the Standing Orders of the General Assembly.