FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have told the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to stop its ongoing elections. They also plan to send a team to Abuja to look into the issues troubling Nigerian football.
This instruction came in a letter dated 7 September. FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, Elkhan Mammadov, signed the letter to NFF Acting Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme.
The letter, which CAF also received, mentioned that FIFA and CAF are looking into the legal, governance, administrative, and electoral issues from the recent problems in the NFF.
The two organizations also referenced a meeting that took place at FIFA House in Zurich on 1 September. This meeting included FIFA, CAF, NFF officials, and representatives from the Nigerian government.
"FIFA and CAF are currently assessing the legal, governance, administrative and electoral implications arising from the current circumstances within the NFF," the letter stated.
It continued that this assessment needs a review of the relevant facts, the NFF's rules, and the views of various stakeholders.
The letter emphasized that FIFA and CAF have not come to any conclusions yet regarding the issues they are reviewing. They have not decided on any next steps at this time.
This latest instruction supports the earlier decision by the NFF to stop preparations for its elections set for 27 September in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
FIFA and CAF specifically told the NFF not to make any further moves in the electoral process until their assessment is finished.
"Furthermore, and without prejudice to the outcome of the ongoing assessment, FIFA and CAF request that the ongoing electoral process be suspended and that no further steps or decisions be taken in connection to that process until further notice," the letter said.
The organizations explained that this decision is meant to maintain the current situation while they investigate the leadership crisis.
"This request is made in order to preserve the status quo while FIFA and CAF complete their assessment of the current situation and engage with the relevant stakeholders," the letter added.
The NFF must also inform all relevant parties about this directive, including its electoral bodies.
In a significant step for Nigerian football reform, FIFA and CAF said they would send a joint team to Abuja as soon as possible.
This team will meet with NFF officials, NFF members, electoral bodies, and the National Sports Commission.
"The purpose of this mission will be to engage with the relevant stakeholders and gather the information necessary to enable FIFA and CAF to conduct a thorough assessment of the situation," the letter explained.
The NFF Acting Deputy General Secretary must arrange the logistics and meetings with the stakeholders.
FIFA and CAF said their assessment will help decide if any recommendations should be made to their decision-making bodies.
"Following completion of this assessment process, FIFA and CAF will determine whether any recommendations or proposals should be submitted to the competent decision-making bodies within FIFA and CAF in accordance with their respective Statutes and regulations," the letter stated.
The bodies warned stakeholders not to assume what the final outcome might be.
"Until such time, the outcome of the assessment remains open and no assumptions should be made as to any action that FIFA and CAF may or may not take."
This latest move comes after Mr Gusau resigned on 27 August, just 34 days before the end of his four-year term.
Mr Sanusi and other NFF Executive Committee members also stepped down, creating a leadership void in the federation. The NFF then appointed Emmanuel Ikpeme to manage its Secretariat as Acting General Secretary, while Ademola Olajire became Acting Deputy General Secretary.
The NFF also paused its electoral process and ordered the heads of the NPFL, NNL, NWFL, and Nationwide League One to hand over their duties as part of temporary measures.
The crisis followed a tough period for Nigerian football, where the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons missed out on the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
President Bola Tinubu had, on the same day Mr Gusau resigned, called for a full reform of Nigerian football.
The President said the reform should tackle governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions, and accountability. He also instructed the NSC to work with the NFF and football stakeholders while engaging FIFA and CAF.
The latest letter from FIFA and CAF now places the international football bodies more directly in charge of the process.
This follows a meeting on 1 September in Zurich, where FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with the Nigerian team led by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko. Infantino said they discussed governance, development, and how FIFA could help strengthen football in Nigeria.
The Abuja mission will help FIFA and CAF understand the conflicting views within Nigerian football before they decide on their next steps.
For now, the NFF election set for 27 September is on hold, and the future of the federation’s structure and leadership will depend on the outcome of this joint assessment and the wider reform process.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇