NFF Scales Suspension Tightropes, Fifa Advocates Free & Fair Polls

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has managed to weather the uncertainties regarding its administration of late and, in the meantime, have not been suspended by Fifa.

The world football governing body are aware that activities at the NFF secretariat in Abuja “returned to normality” on Monday; a move which coincided with the deadline date fixed by its Emergency Committee to serve the country an automatic suspension.

In a letter dated 9th September 2014, addressed to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari, the Secretary General of Fifa, Jerome Valcke said: “We note that you and the management of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were able to return to office and work without hindrance.”

Nigeria Football Federation.
Nigeria Football Federation.
Fifa had, in a letter dated September 3, warned that the NFF will be suspended on Monday, 8 September, should various persons claiming to have been elected into the executive committee of the federation cease to withdraw.

But a dying minute improvement in the administrative clime of the federation, headlined by the return of secretary general Musa Amadu and top management staff to their offices, as well as a first-hand confirmation by the scribe that the crisis is over, warranted Fifa to differ its punishment.

“We also note that the persons claiming to have been elected vacated the premises of the NFF,” Valcke noted.

“Against this background, we would like to confirm that the conditions set in Fifa’s aforementioned correspondence of September 3, 2014, have been complied with and that the NFF is accordingly not suspended.”

The decision means the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against South Africa scheduled for Wednesday, September 10 in Cape Town, will go on as planned.

Fifa, however reiterates that the NFF should abide by its earlier recommendations including the need for an urgent extraordinary general assembly to define and adopt the roadmap for NFF elections as soon as possible.

It warned that any form of “interference” or “mishap” to the electoral process as contained in the constitution of the NFF, again; leads to suspension till the next Fifa Congress.

“We welcome the positive steps which contribute to the normalisation of the situation. We now wait for the NFF executive committee to meet as soon as possible in order to convene an extra-ordinary general assembly to decide on the roadmap leading to the elections which should be open to all persons complying with the NFF statutes and regulations,” Valcke continued.

“These elections should also be organised as soon as possible under the NFF statutes and regulations.

“We would inform you should the electoral process be affected by any interference or mishap, the case will be referred again- and without prior notice or warning – to the appropriate FIFA bodies for immediate suspension of the NFF until the next FIFA Congress.”