Nigeria: FIFA and CAF freeze the NFF electoral process

This international intervention reinforces the suspension of the electoral process already announced by the NFF at the end of August. The elective assembly, which was to renew the executive committee on September 27, is now suspended pending the evaluation conducted by FIFA and CAF.

In their letter addressed to Emmanuel Ikpeme, the two organizations indicate that they are examining the “legal, governance, administrative, and electoral” implications of the situation. They specify that no conclusions have yet been reached and that no final decision has been made regarding the next steps to be taken in the matter.

The crisis escalated on August 27 with the resignations of the NFF president, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, secretary general Mohammed Sanusi, and members of the executive committee. In a statement released the same day, the federation entrusted the interim management of its secretariat to Emmanuel Ikpeme and announced the suspension of all electoral preparations until the completion of a reform process conducted in consultation with FIFA and CAF.

A joint mission expected in Abuja

According to Premium Times and MyJoyOnline, a joint FIFA-CAF delegation is scheduled to travel to Abuja to meet with stakeholders and review the legal and institutional framework of the federation. The visit is intended to allow the two bodies to verify the facts, the internal rules of the NFF, and the positions of the various actors before any decision is made regarding future governance.

The elective congress had initially been scheduled for September 26 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, before being postponed by twenty-four hours. The NFF explained this delay by the scheduling of a match on September 25 between Nigeria and Madagascar in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

This schedule is no longer operational at this stage. The federation had already indicated that a new electoral process could only begin after the expected reforms and consultations with international bodies. The letter dated September 7 reinforces this position by requesting that no further steps be taken during the ongoing review.

No final decision at this stage

FIFA, however, insists on the provisional nature of the situation. The letter cited by several Nigerian media outlets indicates that no conclusions have yet been drawn regarding the institutional consequences of the crisis and that no further measures have been decided.

It is therefore not established, at this stage, that a standardization committee will be set up or that an international sanction will be imposed against Nigeria. The next announced step remains the FIFA-CAF mission to Abuja and consultations with the NFF, Nigerian sports authorities, and other relevant stakeholders.