FIFA, CAF Direct NFF To Suspend Election, Plan Joint Mission To Abuja

FIFA and CAF have directed the Nigeria Football Federation to suspend its ongoing electoral process and will send a joint assessment mission to Abuja, deepening international involvement in the crisis that followed the resignation of the federation’s top officials.

The directive is contained in a letter dated September 7 and signed by FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, Elkhan Mammadov, addressed to NFF Acting Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme. The two bodies asked the federation to take no further steps on the election previously scheduled for September 27 until their assessment is completed.

“FIFA and CAF are currently assessing the legal, governance, administrative and electoral implications arising from the current circumstances within the NFF,” the letter said. “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 assessment follows communications received about the resignations of NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the Executive Committee, as well as a September 1 meeting at FIFA House in Zurich involving FIFA, CAF, the NFF administration and representatives of the Federal Government.

FIFA and CAF said the joint mission would travel to Abuja “at the earliest possible opportunity” to meet the NFF administration, members of the congress, the federation’s electoral bodies and the National Sports Commission. Ikpeme was asked to coordinate logistics and facilitate the meetings, and remains the primary point of contact between the NFF and the two bodies.

Punch reported that the development puts the creation of a normalisation committee on hold, with FIFA and CAF yet to determine their next course of action. The letter noted that no conclusions have been reached and no determination made on potential next steps.

The suspension reinforces the NFF’s own decision to halt preparations for the congress in Lafia, Nasarawa State, after Gusau, Sanusi and board members resigned in late August. In an earlier report here, the federation placed Ikpeme in charge of the secretariat on an interim basis.

Sources: Premium Times, Punch