By Wakawaka Sports
Ekomsy FC and Cynosure FC have jointly petitioned the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), calling for the immediate relocation of the Nationwide League One (NLO) South-East Promotional Zone play-offs from Aba, Abia State, to what they described as a completely neutral venue.
In a petition dated July 23, 2026, and addressed to the NFF President, the two clubs argued that staging the decisive promotion matches at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba would compromise the principles of fairness, sporting integrity, and equal competition.
They maintained that the venue gives two of the four participating clubs—Jaguar FC and Right to Win FC, both based in Abia State—an undue home advantage through familiar surroundings, local support, and reduced travel logistics.
The clubs further alleged that the appointment of Aba as the host venue presents a serious conflict of interest.
According to the petition, the owner of Right to Win FC also serves as the Sporting Director of Abia Comets, while the Director of Sports of Jaguar FC is the Director of Media of Enyimba International FC, owners of the stadium selected for the play-offs.
They argued that such administrative links could raise concerns over the neutrality of match-day operations and venue management.
Ekomsy FC and Cynosure FC also questioned why the South-East Promotional Zone was not being treated in the same manner as other NLO promotional centres across the country, where neutral venues have traditionally been adopted for promotion play-offs.
The clubs insisted that maintaining the same standard for every zone is essential to preserving the credibility of the competition.
As part of their demands, the clubs urged the NFF President to immediately suspend plans to host the play-offs at the Enyimba International Stadium and direct the NLO Secretariat to choose a neutral venue within the South-East where none of the participating clubs is based or has administrative influence.
They stressed that such a decision would uphold the principles of fair play, equity, and transparency in Nigerian football.
Copies of the petition were also forwarded to the Chairman of the NFF Disciplinary Committee, the Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One Secretariat, the Chairman of the South-East Football Stakeholders Forum, and the President of the Nigeria Referees Association, as the clubs expressed confidence that the football authorities would act swiftly in the interest of justice and the integrity of the competition.
