NFF election cancelled as authorities plan three-month normalisation committee

Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC) has cancelled the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) electoral congress scheduled for 27 September in Lafia, Nasarawa State, paving the way for a major reorganisation of the country’s football governing body.

The decision is a major setback for the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF executive committee, which had been preparing to seek a second term after taking office four years ago.

The NSC is expected to appoint a normalisation committee to oversee Nigerian football for an initial three-month period and prepare the ground for fresh elections.

The move follows Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup after the Super Falcons were eliminated by South Africa in the African play-off in Morocco last Thursday.

Nigeria’s women’s team had qualified for every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991, making the latest setback particularly significant.

According to reports, the NSC has sought the backing of world governing body FIFA for the planned intervention and has also contacted Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe.

The proposed normalisation committee is expected to address concerns raised by stakeholders over the running of the NFF and oversee the process leading to a new electoral congress.

Pinnick plan rejected

Former NFF president Amaju Pinnick was reportedly considered to head the proposed committee, but the plan is understood to have been rejected by senior officials within Nigeria’s Presidency.

Sources also indicated that there were objections to the proposed retention of NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi as part of the committee.

With Pinnick now understood to be out of consideration, the NSC is reportedly assessing alternative candidates for the role.

“The names came up after some top officials in the Presidency turned down the NSC’s suggestion of making Amaju Pinnick the head of the Normalisation Committee,” a source told The Guardian.

“For now, I don’t really know who will head the committee, but one thing I know is that Amaju is no longer in the picture.”

The Presidency is understood to have given the NSC approval to announce the committee within 48 hours, although the final composition and leadership remained unclear.

A senior NSC official declined to comment on the issue, saying it was a sensitive matter.

“We are working, and Nigerians will hear from us very soon,” the official said.

Pressure on Gusau administration

The planned reorganisation comes after a difficult period for Nigerian football, with the Gusau administration facing criticism over a series of disappointing results and governance concerns.

The most damaging setback was Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the country possessing a strong pool of established players and Africa having been allocated more places at the expanded tournament.

The Super Falcons’ failure to reach the 2027 Women’s World Cup has added to the pressure on the NFF and intensified questions about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s football administration.

The NSC’s intervention is also likely to trigger wider debate over the management of resources available to Nigerian football.

Nigeria has received significant financial support from the Federal Government for national teams and football development programmes, while FIFA’s Forward Programme has also provided funding for football development in the country.

The proposed three-month normalisation period is expected to focus on resolving outstanding electoral and administrative issues before a new NFF leadership is elected.

Until the committee is formally announced, however, questions remain over who will lead Nigerian football through the transition and how the new electoral process will be structured.