The Nigeria Premier League Club Owners Association has played down news making the rounds that it is in support of a purported plan to play the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier League season in an abridged format.
Making this clarification at the weekend, the chairman of the newly elected Club Owners Association, Chief Okey Kpalukwu, stated that at no point was a decision to have an abridged season discussed or agreed upon by members with anyone.
“It is no longer a secret that the new Club Owners Executive met with the Nigeria Football Federation President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau in his office in Abuja on Monday and details of major decisions arrived at were made public by our General Secretary, Mr Godwin Enakhena.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NFF President didn’t tell Club Owners and others present at the meeting that the 2023/24 season will be an abridged league”, explained the Rivers United General Manager.
Chief Kpalukwu wondered where the news that the Club Owners were at a meeting where a decision to play an abridged league was agreed upon came from, adding that the Clubs will do what is best for the league at all times when the time comes for a decision on what format will be adopted for the new season is to be made.
“For now, we await the proposed meeting with the NFF and NPL where decisions on the league commencement date, format and other key decisions will be decided. Let’s not be in a hurry so that we don’t put the cart before the horse”, stated Chief Kpalukwu who will be representing the Club Owners in the new NPL board alongside Alhaji Suleiman Umar and Dominic Iorfa of Doma United of Gombe and Lobi Stars of Makurdi respectively.