FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have asked to pause the Nigeria Football Federation’s electoral process while they investigate the leadership crisis in Nigeria’s football governing body.

They will send a team to Abuja to meet with football officials, electoral bodies, and government representatives before deciding on next steps.

This request follows the resignations of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, and other Executive Committee members amid criticism of the national teams’ performances, including the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Gusau stepped down on 27 August to allow for reforms in Nigerian football.

An elective congress was set for 27 September in Lafia, but plans were halted. The NFF stated a new process will start after discussing reforms with FIFA and CAF, but FIFA has not approved any specific reform plan yet.

This follows a meeting on 1 September involving FIFA, CAF, NFF officials, and Nigeria’s federal government. FIFA and CAF plan to visit Abuja soon to gather information for their assessment of the situation.

Ikpeme will serve as the main contact between the NFF, FIFA, and CAF during this review. The assessment is crucial as FIFA requires national associations to operate independently without outside influence.

FIFA has intervened in Nigerian football governance before, lifting a suspension threat in 2018 after the NFF regained control. For now, FIFA has not threatened sanctions or specified how to resolve the crisis and states that no assumptions should be made about possible actions.