Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), Mr. George Aluo, has said there’s nothing wrong with relegated clubs purchasing slots to remain in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), as long as all parties involved follow due process and meet the league’s requirements.
Speaking on a live sports programme hosted by Babatunde Saheed, popularly known as “Mr. Sport,” on Success 105.3 FM in Ibadan, Aluo explained that the practice, while sometimes controversial, is not unusual in football systems globally and can add excitement to the league if done transparently.
He emphasized that any team buying a promotion slot must be able to afford the deal, and the club selling must do so willingly. However, he stressed that a team must remain within its zonal conference. For instance, a club in the Northern Conference cannot buy a slot from the Southern Conference unless it is prepared to relocate accordingly.
The discussion was sparked by reports linking recently relegated sides—Lobi Stars of Makurdi and Heartland FC of Owerri—with efforts to regain NPFL status by purchasing promotion slots from clubs that qualified through the NNL Super 8 playoffs.
Heartland’s case has already stirred debate. After being relegated in the 2023–2024 NPFL season, they returned to the top tier in 2024–2025 following the disqualification of Beyond Limits Football Academy. The academy was denied promotion due to a violation of NPFL regulations, specifically the dual ownership rule, because of its affiliation with NPFL side Remo Stars FC.
Aluo maintained that as long as all league protocols are respected, such slot purchases remain a legitimate part of league operations.
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