NPFL Orders Shooting Stars Director Tobi Adepoju to Correct Licensing Claims and Apologise to League Chairman

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has instructed Shooting Stars Sporting Director, Tobi Adepoju, to publish the accurate details regarding club licensing and issue an apology to the NPFL Chairman. This directive comes after what the league described as a “careless post on social media” concerning the pitches approved in Ilorin and Bauchi for league matches.

Adepoju had posted on X, accusing NPFL Chairman Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye of approving substandard stadiums with poor playing surfaces for top-flight fixtures. He also alleged that Shooting Stars players had suffered injuries due to these inadequate pitch conditions.

In a formal letter titled “A case of false accusation against the person and office of the NPFL chairman,” Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL, faulted Adepoju for spreading misleading information that could harm the image of both the chairman and the league.

Owumi wrote, “Our attention has been drawn to a false claim you made on the microblogging platform known as X in which you maliciously accused the Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye of approving the use of a stadium which caused injury to players of your club.

“The allegation which has been published by NaijaFooty, an online blog is patently false because Elegbeleye and the NPFL are not responsible for stadium approvals which fall under Infrastructure requirements of the Nigeria Football Federation Club Licensing Regulations”.

The letter further directed Adepoju to publish the correct information regarding club licensing, apologize to the NPFL Chairman, and provide reasons why the league should not impose disciplinary actions against him.