Ex-Super Eagles star hits out at Obafemi Martins over NFF Presidency suggestion

Former Super Eagles and West Bromwich Albion defender Ifeanyi Udeze has criticised Obafemi Martins’ suggestion that Seyi Tinubu could become the next president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Soccernet.ng reports.

Martins made the suggestion as Nigerian football searches for new leadership following the resignation of Ibrahim Gusau and members of the NFF executive committee.

Gusau’s resignation came after a difficult period for Nigerian football, with the Super Eagles missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons also missing the Women's World Cup for the first time since the inception of the competition.

The crisis has prompted calls for a major overhaul of the country’s football administration, with the Nigerian government directing changes to the structure of the NFF while FIFA have also become involved in the situation.

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Amid the uncertainty over who should lead the federation, Martins put forward Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a potential candidate during an appearance on the ObiOne Podcast.

However, the former Inter Milan striker’s suggestion has now been strongly rejected by his former Super Eagles teammate Udeze.

Udeze rejects Obafemi Martins’ choice

Speaking on BRILA FM, Udeze described Martins’ suggestion as a bad idea and questioned why the former Super Eagles striker settled on Seyi Tinubu when there are other young Nigerians with football experience.

“For me it’s a bad idea,” Udeze said in quotes revealed by Complete Sports.

“I don’t know what made Martins make such a statement, maybe because he’s a friend to Seyi Tinubu, but like I said, I don’t buy the idea.”

Udeze argued that if Martins’ main reason for recommending Seyi was the need for younger leadership, there were other former Nigerian footballers who could fit that description.

“If Martins claims we need young people to come and run our football, there are other young people.

“I was thinking he would mention a young person like Seyi Olofinjana. I was surprised by his choice, so for me Obafemi Martins is on his own.”

Martins opined that Nigerian football needs a young leader who understands the game and the system, before identifying Seyi Tinubu as someone capable of helping to change the situation.

“We just need someone that can help. A young person that understands the game and the system that can help us,” the former Inter Milan striker said.

“I think Seyi Tinubu can do that too. He’s young and understands what Nigerian people want. He can change that if he wants to.”

NFF crisis raises questions over next president

The disagreement between the two former internationals comes at a very sensitive moment for Nigerian football.

The NFF is currently dealing with the aftermath of Gusau’s resignation, which left the federation without a substantive president and triggered further uncertainty over its leadership structure.

The timing of the leadership change is significant. Nigeria's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup was followed by the Super Falcons missing out on the 2027 Women's World Cup, while the country's youth teams have also endured disappointing results.

Those failures have intensified the debate about what Nigerian football needs from its next administration. For Martins, the answer appears to be younger leadership and someone capable of understanding the football system.

Udeze, however, believes the identity of the next NFF president should be based on more than youth, and his rejection of Martins’ suggestion highlights the wider debate over who is actually qualified to lead Nigerian football.