FIFA, CAF suspend Nigeria football elections over governance crisis
FIFA, CAF suspend Nigeria football elections over governance crisis
FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have suspended further steps in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) electoral process.
The decision has put the NFF’s planned September 27 elections on hold as FIFA and CAF prepare to visit Abuja to meet key stakeholders and examine the situation within the federation.
The move follows reports that FIFA and the National Sports Commission had reached an agreement on proposed reforms to Nigeria’s football administration.
However, FIFA has clarified that no final agreement has been reached.
In an email dated September 7 and addressed to NFF Acting General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme, FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer Elkhan Mammadov said FIFA and CAF were assessing the legal, governance, administrative and electoral issues arising from the current situation in the NFF.
The intervention comes after a major leadership crisis in Nigerian football. NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation’s Executive Committee recently resigned amid growing concerns over the state of the country’s football.
The crisis has also been linked to a series of poor results recorded by Nigeria’s national teams.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Super Falcons also missed out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.
Several of Nigeria’s youth teams have also failed to qualify for major continental and global competitions.
The latest intervention by FIFA and CAF therefore comes at a difficult time for Nigerian football, with the international bodies now set to engage stakeholders and assess the way forward for the NFF.
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