Duro Ikhazuagbe

Pioneer Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Hon. Nduka Irabor, has given notice of his withdrawal from the management of Nigeria’s topflight Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

“By December 28, I would cease to be a member of the LMC board. It is however open to make this exit date earlier. The board needs time to find a replacement for me. If it has one now it may go ahead and date the resignation letter I submitted at time of incorporating LMC.

“I am offloading some of my schedule and doing more travels theses days. I need to focus on my core private business,” Irabor confided exclusively to THISDAY last night.

Six and half years ago, Irabor, a former chairman of the Communications Committee of the House of Representatives, took charge of the then League Management Committee and incorporated a statutory independent body to manage the league.

On when the league would restart for the 2019/20 season, Irabor said: “ That would have to come from Chairman Shehu (Dikko). We are grappling with obvious funding issues. Without a broadcast sponsor it is difficult for us to market the league at its real value. This indeed is the league’s surest revenue source. I know this is been impressed on the relevant persons and happily, the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, appears to have a good handle on this matter. It feels good to have somebody in government champion the cause of the game.”

The sports minister earlier yesterday tweeted that the NPFL has been rescheduled to start on October 20.
Irabor however insisted that despite his quiting the league body, his relationship with other members of the board remains cordial.