The Port Harcourt club claimed their third title on a dramatic last day of the season with a 1-0 victory at Bukola Babes, taking them to 73 points, two ahead of Stars.
Sunshine, who led the log by a point going into the final round of fixtures were beaten by the same scoreline at Kano Pillars to finish on 71 points.
Stanley Eguma's wards were the early pacesetters at the start of the campaign helped in no small measure by their formnidable home record.
But a draw at home to Ocean Boys before the league went on one of its interminable breaks, allowed Sunshine to skip ahead into pole position and seemed to have dealt a mortal wound to their title ambitions.
And when the Akure side beat Dolphins 3-1 last month, things looked dire for the two-time champions.
But they rallied to keep the gap close. Ocean Boys, the team who looked to have damaged their title ambitions, were the ones who got it back on track, when they came from two goals down to tie 2-2 with Sunshine Stars in the last but one game of the season.
A win there for Sunshine would have delivered them the gong on goal difference.
And with Pillars set on playing continental football, there were to be no favours for Sunshine. They got none.
Dolphins on the other hand, had an easier fixture against Bukola who had little motivation to try, and a single goal proved enough for the Port Harcourt side.
Sunshne coach Gbenga Ogunbote, once an assistant coach at Dolphins, was left distraught.
But it was a deserving victory for the boys from the Garden City, whose five away wins was the highest of any side.
Dolphins and Sunshine will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League. Warri Wolves, who finished third, return to the CAF Confederation Cup while Kano Pillars will play in the WAFU Cup.
At the bottom, Plateau United beat Heartland 1-0, but it proved a little too late, as Ocean Boys drew at Zamfara United, and 3SC won at home to Lobi.
Plateau joined city rivals JUTH, Crown FC and Zamfara United in dropping down to the National First Division.
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