FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have formally requested that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) suspend its ongoing electoral process “until further notice,” in a letter that also confirms plans for a joint assessment mission to Abuja in the coming weeks.
The correspondence, dated 7 September 2026 and signed by Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, was addressed to Mr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the NFF’s Deputy General Secretary, who has been designated as the primary point of contact between the federation and the two governing bodies for the duration of the process.
The letter references “various communications recently received by FIFA and CAF” concerning developments within the NFF, including notifications relating to the resignation of the federation’s President, members of its Executive Committee, and its General Secretary, alongside additional correspondence from other Nigerian football stakeholders.
It also cites a meeting held at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters on 1 September, attended by FIFA, CAF, the NFF administration and representatives of Nigeria’s Federal Government, at which the situation was discussed.
Meetings are expected with NFF administration, NFF member representatives, NFF electoral bodies, and the Federal Government of Nigeria, including the National Sports Commission (NSC).
According to the letter, the request to pause the electoral process is intended “to preserve the status quo” while the assessment is completed, and should not be read as any determination on the validity of decisions, actions or positions taken by stakeholders in the matter so far. The NFF has been asked to communicate the suspension request to all relevant parties, including the federation’s competent electoral bodies.
No assumptions should be made as to any action that FIFA and CAF may or may not take.”
Beyond the suspension request, the letter sets out plans for a joint FIFA-CAF delegation to travel to Abuja to engage directly with stakeholders and gather information required for what is described as a “comprehensive assessment of the situation.”
Meetings are expected to be organised with representatives of the NFF administration, representatives of NFF members, representatives of the federation’s electoral bodies, and representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria, including the National Sports Commission.
FIFA and CAF have asked the NFF for support in coordinating the logistical arrangements for the visit and facilitating the organisation of the planned meetings.
The letter states that the mission is intended to help both bodies “better understand the circumstances surrounding the recent developments within the NFF,” the positions of the various stakeholders, and any issues that may require further consideration under the applicable FIFA, CAF and NFF regulatory framework.
Outcome remains open
The letter is careful to stress that the process remains at an early, fact-finding stage. Once the assessment is complete, FIFA and CAF say they will determine whether any recommendations or proposals should be submitted to their respective decision-making bodies, in line with their Statutes and regulations. Until that point, both organisations say the outcome “remains open,” and caution that no assumptions should be drawn about what action, if any, may follow.
