FIFA says it has yet to determine a path forward for the Nigeria Football Federation, following the abrupt resignation of NFF president Ibrahim Gusa and his executive committee weeks before the planned September 27 election.
The resignations arrived just days before the scheduled vote, prompting the National Sports Commission to step in and enforce President Bola Tinubu’s directive targeting what he called persistent shortcomings within the federation.
A Nigerian delegation, led by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, traveled to Zurich on September 1 to meet president Gianni Infantino and other senior officials at FIFA House.
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FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, Elkhan Mammadov, confirmed in a letter that the governing body had received multiple communications from Nigerian stakeholders regarding the resignations but had not yet reached a conclusion.
Mammadov noted that FIFA and CAF representatives had discussed the NFF’s situation directly with Nigerian government officials during the Zurich meeting, and that both bodies are now working through the legal, administrative, and electoral questions the crisis has raised.
Mammadov stressed that the review demands close examination of the facts, NFF’s regulatory framework, and the range of positions expressed by different stakeholders. He added that 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 uncertainty has effectively frozen plans to install a normalisation committee, with FIFA and CAF withholding judgment on how to proceed.
In the meantime, FIFA has recognized Ikpeme endorsed by the NSC as acting General Secretary as Deputy General Secretary, instructing him to serve as the main liaison between the NFF and the two governing bodies until further notice.
They also confirmed it has postponed the September 27 election, clarifying that the delay does not endorse the NFF’s current state but simply gives investigators room to complete their review and consult affected parties.
Delegations from FIFA and CAF are expected to travel to Abuja as part of that process, meeting with NFF officials, Congress members, electoral committees, and the National Sports Commission to gather firsthand perspectives on the unfolding situation.
Officials say the Abuja visit will help clarify the circumstances behind the leadership collapse and surface any regulatory concerns that require further scrutiny.
Only after that assessment concludes will FIFA and CAF decide whether to escalate recommendations to their respective decision-making bodies.
