The Chairman of Lobi Stars, Dr. Phillip Nongu, has accepted responsibility for the relegation of the club from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), but assured fans that the former Nigerian champions were already undergoing a rebuilding process to return stronger.
Speaking to journalists in Makurdi, Nongu described the 2024/25 season as one of the toughest in the history of the club, marked not only by poor results on the pitch but also by internal sabotage, misinformation, and external pressures that distracted management and players.
He disclosed that his board assumed control of the club just two days before the league kicked off, inheriting a squad recruited and registered by the previous management.
Nongu who doubles as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports and Creativity, maintained that the season was plagued by what he termed "deliberate sabotage" from football agents, insiders, and political actors who placed personal interests above the club's progress.
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He alleged that campaigns of blackmail and defamation were mounted against him and his board, with some lobbying for his removal.
The chairman said his administration cleared three months of salary arrears owed players and staff by the past board and corrected anomalies where players were underpaid below contractual agreements.
He insisted that since his assumption of office, no staff or player had been owed, except a brief delay in June salaries which were later settled.
Nongu acknowledged mistakes by management but maintained that relegation should be seen as a stepping stone for progress, as he assured stakeholders that the board was revamping its technical team, scouting for disciplined and talented young players, and building a performance based structure that rewards hard work.
"I believe God destined Lobi's relegation for a purpose. We are not just aiming to return to the NPFL, but to come back stronger, better structured, and more united," he assured fans and stakeholders.
