Akwa Utd, Heartland & Lobi Stars Seek NNL Entry Despite Transfer Ban

Three clubs  Akwa United FC, Heartland FC and Lobi Stars FC are reportedly pressuring the Nigeria National League (NNL) to bypass a transfer and registration ban imposed by the Nigeria Football Federation Players’ Status &amp Arbitration Committee (NFF-PSAC), despite outstanding debts owed to former players and coaches.

According to league sources, none of the clubs in question have submitted documented proof of compliance or clearance from NFF-PSAC, which issued sanctions preventing new player registration until all financial obligations are resolved. “As of now, none of the clubs has submitted any document confirming settlement of their debts. The NFF PSAC has not given us any clearance to register new players,” one anonymous official within the NNL confirmed to the investigation.

Yet, despite the unresolved status, Akwa United, Heartland and Lobi Stars are said to be lobbying the NNL secretariat, urging approval of newly-recruited players who have already featured in pre-season friendlies. The clubs argue that the debts relate primarily to previous administrations and should not block current management efforts.

In response, the NNL has so far refused to override the PSAC directive. But insiders warn that mounting internal lobbying from powerful club stakeholders may test the league’s resolve in the days ahead. “They keep coming with the same excuse – new management, old debt but the rule is clear. Until you pay what you owe, you can’t register new players,” the official added.

The issue comes ahead of the 2025-26 NNL season, where clubs were required to complete registration by the deadline failure to settle debts would prevent them from strengthening and may jeopardise their participation.

Editorial

When the principle of financial accountability collides with the ambition of sporting competition, the fissure becomes telling. The case of Akwa United, Heartland and Lobi Stars pressing the NNL to override a sanction from the NFF-PSAC is not simply about registration it is about governance, precedence and the long-term health of Nigerian club football.

The PSAC’s decision was clear clubs with judgments against them must settle outstanding debts to players and coaches before they can register new signings. That this straightforward rule is being challenged by clubs formerly in the top tier, now in the second tier, raises questions of enforcement and equity. When heavyweight clubs seek exceptions, what message is sent to smaller clubs, to players owed wages, to administrators trying to build credibility?

The internal lobbying of the NNL underlines a larger truth stakes are high. Clubs believe that the cost of non-registration is too steep relegation, revenue loss, player attrition all loom. Their argument that new management should not inherit old debt carries emotional weight. But football administration is rarely ruled by emotion it is ruled by precedent.

The NNL’s stand so far has been firm. Yet the structural pressure is intense. If the league caves, it will undermine the mandate of the PSAC financial discipline will be optional. If it holds, clubs may suffer immediate competitive disadvantage, diminishing their ability to rebuild. The tension is real.

For Nigerian football supporters, this is more than a bureaucratic fight it is a test of professionalism. Clubs are not just teams they are institutions. If they seek to compete and to grow, then they must abide by the same rules as all clubs. The moment regulations are seen as negotiable, the entire structure weakens.

In the weeks ahead, the answer will reveal much will Nigerian football prioritise short-term expediency or long-term integrity? The direction chosen here may well ripple through seasons to come.

Did You Know?

1. The NFF-PSAC had previously issued a similar ban on ten clubs for failure to comply with player and coach financial obligations including some of the same clubs now seeking exceptions.
2. A circular dated September 9 2025 from the NNL COO, Danlami Alalana, instructed clubs with outstanding debts that they would not be allowed to register any players for the 2025/26 season until they submit proof of compliance.
3. Some clubs have settled foreign players’ debts quickly (to comply with FIFA regulations) while neglecting domestic obligations a disparity that highlights enforcement weaknesses at national level.
4. All three clubs Akwa United, Heartland and Lobi Stars were relegated from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) after the 2024–25 season, and thus face the added pressure of rebuilding in the NNL.
5. Failure to clear debts or obtain PSAC clearance can result in invalid player registrations, meaning any new players signed may be ineligible to play until the club’s status is resolved.