Remo Stars owner Kunle Soname has launched a strong criticism of officiating in the Nigeria Premier Football League, calling for referees involved in what he described as clear and obvious errors this ongoing season to be held accountable and demoted, Tidesports source reports. .

Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne, Soname said the club’s concerns were driven by repeated decisions that have, in his view, tilted matches unfairly.

Remo Stars currently sit 16th on the NPFL table, one place and one point above Barau FC in the first relegation spot, a sharp contrast to last season when they lifted the league title.

Soname referenced several incidents this campaign, including a recent game against Ikorodu City, the matchday 18 fixture involving Remo Stars and Insurance, as well as video footage from the Barau and Shooting Stars encounter, all of which he said highlighted inconsistencies in refereeing decisions.

He insisted that the issue was not a blanket attack on referees but a demand for accountability and consistency.

“Referees can be good. They can get the job done. They just decide to apply the rules in a different way. Now, we have just brought this out now because they are clear and obvious errors. But we all know football, there are many instances where their bias will not result in goals,” Soname said.

He added that the problem often lies in repeated marginal decisions favouring one side.

Say 50-50 calls, they are just consistently giving it to one side, one side, one side. So if there is a body that will watch all the games and that will hold them accountable and say, ‘Listen my friend, why is this a foul in this match for this team in yellow, and the same thing has happened here against them and it’s not a foul?’ Then everybody will sit up and the game will be fair.”

He added, “The committee should reward referees who are doing great jobs and punish those with poor officiating by demoting them to the NNL. It is not the kind of demotion that after one or two weeks they are back, they should be demoted for the entire season.”

Soname stressed that fairness was fundamental to the growth of Nigerian football.

“The better teams will win and that is how football can develop and grow in this country,” he said.

He was also keen to distance his comments from what he described as a misdirected attack on the Nigeria Football Federation.

They will say, ‘He’s attacking NFF.’ It has got nothing to do with NFF. NFF did not appoint referees. It is the committee that appointed the referees. NFF did not hold the whistle to come and do stupid things on the pitch,” he said.

According to Soname, responsibility must be shared between match officials and those who appoint them.

“The referees will carry their cross and the appointment committee will carry their cross as well. Under whose purview is the referee appointment? NFF committee appointed them. That is exactly what I’m saying,” he stated.

He called on the federation to ensure the right people oversee officiating.

“The NFF needs to put proper people there, proper people, that will just ensure accountability and fairness. That is all we require. And trust me, if there is fairness on the pitch, this football will grow astronomically in this country.”

Soname also rejected suggestions that Remo Stars had benefited from refereeing favouritism in the past, particularly during their title-winning campaign.

“Anybody that says he collected one cent from Remo Stars last season, season before last, season before that one, should come out and say it and I will sack that official the same day. That is not what we stand for,” he said.

“I challenge anybody, anybody. If the person can prove it, the person that did that in this club is gone the same day. Gone,” Soname said, adding that Remo Stars’ operations were transparent and could not conceal such payments.

Beyond officiating, Soname highlighted the broader financial realities of Nigerian football, noting that most clubs operate at a loss. He explained that Remo Stars rely heavily on their academy model to sustain the club.

However, he argued that financial strength should be expressed through squad building rather than manipulation.

“If you have more money, go and recruit Ronaldo, pay him, he will score 30 goals and you will win the league. Resources need to be channeled towards competition, towards fairness. It cannot be the other way,” Soname said.