The world football governing body, FIFA, says it has yet to make a judgment on the future of the Nigeria Football Federation following the resignation of its president, Ibrahim Gusau; General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi; and other Executive Committee members.
In a letter addressed to the NFF’s deputy general secretary, Emmanuel Ikpeme, on Monday, FIFA and the Confederation of African Football stated that they are currently assessing the legal, governance, administrative, and electoral implications of the NFF’s developments before deciding on the next step.
Gusau led a mass resignation from the NFF on Thursday, August 27, in response to rising criticism of Nigeria’s national and youth teams’ performances, particularly the senior men’s and women’s teams’ failure to qualify for the World Cups.
The resignations occurred only days before the scheduled September 27 NFF election, with the National Sports Commission stepping in to carry out President Bola Tinubu’s request for action to rectify what he described as “repeated failures.”
A Nigerian team led by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko later met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other senior executives at the FIFA House in Zurich, Switzerland, on September 1.
According to the letter, FIFA stated that it had not reached a decision despite receiving multiple letters from stakeholders in Nigeria.
“We refer to the various communications recently received by FIFA and CAF concerning developments within the Nigeria Football Federation, including the notifications relating to the resignation of the NFF President, members of the Executive Committee, and the General Secretary, as well as additional correspondence received from other football stakeholders in Nigeria,” FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer Elkhan Mammadov said in the letter.
“We also refer to the meeting held at the Home of FIFA in Zurich on 1 September between FIFA, CAF, the NFF administration, and representatives from the Federal Government of Nigeria, during which the current situation of the NFF was discussed. FIFA and CAF are currently assessing the legal, governance, administrative, and electoral implications arising from the current circumstances within the NFF.
“This assessment requires a careful review of the relevant facts, the applicable NFF regulatory framework, and the positions communicated by the various stakeholders concerned. At this stage, FIFA and CAF have not reached any conclusions regarding the matters under review, and no determination has been made with respect to any potential next steps,” the international football body’s statement read.
The development puts the formation of a normalization committee on hold, with FIFA and CAF yet to decide on the best course of action.
Ikpeme, who was endorsed by the NSC as the NFF’s interim General Secretary, was addressed as Deputy General Secretary by FIFA in its communications, and he was told to function as the key point of contact between the NFF, FIFA, and CAF until further notice.
FIFA also ordered the postponement of the scheduled September 27 elections, emphasizing that the decision did not justify any of the current circumstances within the NFF but was required to allow FIFA and CAF to finish their review and interact with the relevant parties.
As part of the process, FIFA and CAF delegations will travel to Abuja to meet with NFF officials, Congress members, NFF electoral bodies, and the National Sports Commission.
“The mission will allow FIFA and CAF to better understand the circumstances surrounding the recent developments within the NFF, the views of the various stakeholders, and any issues that may require further consideration under the applicable FIFA, CAF, and NFF regulatory framework.
“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.
“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,” FIFA concluded.
