Nigeria: FIFA, CAF Suspend NFF Election, to Send Joint Mission to Abuja

What the report says

FIFA and the Confederation of African Football have ordered the Nigeria Football Federation to pause its electoral process and said they will send a joint mission to Abuja to assess the leadership crisis in Nigerian football. The move, reported by Premium Times on 8 September 2026, comes after a period of resignations and internal disruption at the NFF and follows an earlier NFF decision to halt preparations for its elective congress planned for 27 September in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

According to the letter cited in the report, signed by FIFA’s chief member associations officer and copied to CAF, the two governing bodies are reviewing the legal, governance, administrative and electoral issues raised by recent events in the federation. The assessment is linked to communications about the resignations of NFF president Ibrahim Gusau, executive committee members and general secretary Mohammed Sanusi, as well as input from other stakeholders.

FIFA and CAF said no conclusions had been reached and asked the NFF not to take any further steps on the election until the review is complete. They said the Abuja mission will meet NFF officials, electoral bodies and Nigeria’s National Sports Commission to gather information before any recommendations are considered.

The intervention follows broader efforts to stabilize Nigerian football after poor results on the international stage and a presidential directive for reforms covering governance, accountability and competition structures. The outcome could shape how the NFF is led in the near term, but the governing bodies have not announced any final decision.