Former champions of the Nigeria Professional Football League, Remo Stars were relegated to the second tier on Sunday after their 1-1 draw against Bendel Insurance in Benin City.
Remo initially looked on course for survival when experienced striker Victor Mbaoma gave them the lead against Bendel Insurance on the stroke of half-time.
At that stage, the defending champions appeared safe and positioned to avoid the drop.
However, the situation changed dramatically deep into added time when Chijioke Akuneto equalised for Bendel Insurance after the 90th minute to secure a 1-1 draw in Edo.
The result pushed Remo Stars into danger, dropping them from 12th to 16th position as attention shifted anxiously to the delayed fixture between Kun Khalifat and Wikki Tourists.
The match, delayed by heavy rainfall, eventually kicked off under floodlights and finished three hours after the other NPFL fixtures had ended.
Remo’s survival hopes depended on Khalifat failing to win, but the newcomers produced a spirited display to defeat Wikki Tourists 3-1, climbing from 17th to 13th in the final standings and condemning the Sky Blue Stars to relegation.
They became the first defending NPFL champions to suffer relegation since Bayelsa United in the 2009/10 season.
They also became only the fourth reigning league champions to drop into the second tier during a title defence campaign after Stationery Stores in 1993 and Shooting Stars in 1999.
Enugu Rangers were crowned champions after securing their ninth league title, while Rivers United finished runners-up to claim a place in next season’s CAF Champions League.
Joining Remo Stars in relegation to the Nigeria National League are El-Kanemi Warriors, Bayelsa United and Wikki Tourists as another dramatic NPFL campaign came to an end.