By Benson Daniel
FIFA and the Confederation of African Football have withheld a final decision on the leadership crisis within the Nigeria Football Federation, opting instead to conduct a further assessment of the situation before determining the next steps.
The two international football governing bodies are preparing to send a joint delegation to Nigeria to engage stakeholders and examine the circumstances surrounding the mass resignations that have thrown the country’s football administration into uncertainty.
The development follows a meeting held at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on September 1, where representatives of FIFA, CAF, the NFF administration and the Federal Government discussed the crisis and possible ways forward.
In a communication to the NFF, FIFA said it was reviewing the legal, governance, administrative and electoral implications arising from the resignations of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, members of the Executive Committee and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, alongside other communications received from football stakeholders.
FIFA said no conclusions had been reached and that no decision had been taken on what measures should follow.
The position effectively puts on hold plans for a possible normalisation committee while FIFA and CAF continue their assessment. The proposed committee had been considered as part of efforts to oversee the transition and implement reforms within Nigerian football.
The international bodies have also directed that the NFF’s planned September 27 elections be suspended pending the completion of the assessment.
FIFA stressed that the suspension should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any of the current circumstances within the federation. Instead, the move is intended to give the governing bodies enough time to establish the facts and consult the relevant stakeholders before determining the appropriate course of action.
As part of the process, the FIFA and CAF delegation is expected to meet representatives of the NFF administration, members of the NFF Congress, electoral bodies and officials of the National Sports Commission.
The visit is expected to provide an opportunity for the international bodies to hear directly from the different parties involved in the dispute and examine the proposals being put forward for the restructuring of Nigerian football.
FIFA has also designated NFF Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme as its primary point of contact with the federation and CAF until further notice.
The latest development comes after the Federal Government and football authorities began discussions on reforms following the resignation of the Gusau led NFF leadership.
While some Nigerian officials had indicated that FIFA was backing a reform roadmap, the latest communication makes clear that the international governing bodies are still examining the situation and have yet to give final approval to any particular arrangement.
The decision has therefore bought more time for consultations but also leaves the future structure of the NFF unresolved.
For Nigerian football, the immediate focus will now shift to the outcome of the FIFA and CAF assessment mission. The findings are expected to determine whether a normalisation committee will eventually be established, whether the proposed reforms will be adjusted or whether another pathway will be adopted to restore stability to the federation.
Until that process is completed, the leadership and electoral questions surrounding the NFF remain unsettled.
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