By Abdulgafar Oladimeji

Nationwide League One, NLO clubs under the aegis of Nationwide League Clubs Kano Forum are engulfed in an affray over the intervention funds doled out to clubs affiliated to the Forum by Deputy Senate President, DSP senator Barau Jubrin.

Major sports platform were awash with the news of the good will by the senator representing Kano north, who had out of philanthropy resort to pay the 2025 NLO registration fees for the supposed member clubs affiliated to the forum.

The chairman, Abba Gida Gida football club , Mustapha Tiyya last Monday night fired the first salvo that ignited the dispute that is roaring to consume the forum.

Tiyya released a voice note on the official platform of the forum, where he accused the leadership of the forum of alleged breach of trust and cheating.

Tiyya who made the outburst in local parlance said “ the leadership of this forum has breached the trust of we members of this forum.

He further alleged that “ you the leaders of our forum travelled to Abuja to collect monetary donations from DSP Barau Jubrin, on our behalf, you betrayed our trust and also betrayed yourselves .

Mustapha accused the leadership of the forum of collecting N20 million from senator Barau, out of the amount collected he alleged that the sum of N4million was diverted to personal use by the forum’s exco .

Tiyya, who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the aggrieved NLO clubs, said their intention from now hence is to engage and expose the misdeeds by the leadership of the forum in what he described as the mother of all battles against injustice, and breach of trust.

“for years, we spent heavily to run our clubs, who gave us the money we have to use to run our clubs, now you went to Abuja to collect the donation on the behalf of us all and shared it in an unjustifiable manner.”

In a swift reaction, the Public relations Officer, PRO, Nationwide league Clubs Kano Forum, Ibrahim Usman Arzai, a.k.a Na’alungu dismissed the allegations as baseless and lacking in facts and substance.

He explained that the monies donated by senator Barau to the clubs was meant and was given to those clubs whose club league registration with the Nationwide league One, NLO is up to date.

Arzai said “ it is a law that once you fail to register with the league or let me put it that once you fail to meet your obligations to feature in the league for one season, you lose your registration and your validation to benefit from any gesture of such nature, in cases like the situation we found pursleves regarding the donation from DSP Barau Jubrin.” .

He pointed out that “ any club that did not benefit from the intervention funds from senator Barau Jubrin did not fulfill the requites to be considered , which includes having an up to date registration with the Nationwide League One. NLO.”

“20 clubs had failed to meet the requirements to benefit from the Barau largesse, because they failed to meet their obligations, such as failing to play in the league last season, the donor opted to consider only clubs that were up to date with their NLO registration.”

He affirm that, disciplinary measures have been slammed against Mustapha Tiyya the chairman of Abba Gida Gida football club , he said Tiyya allegedly resorted to the use of abusive language and committed acts that were considered as unsporting against the regulations that regulates the affairs of the forum.

Arzai then said “during the administration of governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, we received N96 million as support funds and it was shared equally to all Nationwide League clubs, this really helped the clubs , but since the coming of the current NNPP government under his Excellency, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, we have written severally to his government to support us, two years down the lane, we have been rejected and dejected..

“this time we approached senator Barau, he came to our rescue and all the clubs that deserve to benefit from the intervention funds from DSP Barau have gotten theirs without political biase, including Kwanklwasiyya fc were given their share .”

“For Tiyya fc to now claimed that they were excluded due to biase or alliances is a ruse, I rather challenge those of them that have an NNPP or Kwankwasiyya alliances that they should proceed to convince the incumbent Kano state , NNPP government to support NLO clubs , as was the tradition before the arrival of the present Kano state government.” Arzzai stated.

It would be recalled that, Ismail Mudashir Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media and Publicity on Tuesday March 25, 2025, Senator Barau Jibrin had paid the NLO registration fees for 52 clubs in Kano .

DSP Barau is quoted saying ” Nothing is too much to engage our youths. I’m paying the registration fees for all the 52 clubs today. The more, the merrier. Let them all participate in the NLO. As a footballer and a midfielder while growing up, I know the importance of participating in competitions like this.

“Aside from my club – Barau FC, I will continue to support other clubs to succeed. Football has many benefits, and it is very lucrative. We know how footballers are building health facilities, educational institutions, and places of worship, among others,” said Barau Jubrin.

*… SAHEL SPORTS NEWS*