FIFA has approved a normalisation committee to oversee the Nigeria Football Federation until fresh elections are held, with its assignment due to end no later than May 31, 2027.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council approved the move on Thursday, October 22. FIFA and the Confederation of African Football will jointly appoint the committee members, none of whom will be allowed to contest positions in the forthcoming NFF elections.
The NFF secretariat will continue running the federation’s daily affairs until the committee is appointed. The approval does not mean its members have already been named.
The NFF announced the decision in a statement citing a letter from FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström to Emmanuel Ikpeme. The letter says the committee’s tenure will end once it completes its tasks, even if that happens before the May 2027 deadline.
The intervention follows the August resignations of NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the executive committee. Channels Television reported that the National Sports Commission subsequently approved Ikpeme as interim general secretary and Ademola Olajire as interim deputy general secretary, while the elective congress was suspended pending reforms.
FIFA and CAF had earlier directed the federation to halt its electoral process while they assessed its governance and administrative situation. NaijaTrend reported that directive here.
Sources: Daily Trust, Channels Television, Vanguard
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