FIFA says it would suspend Nigeria from football activities if it fails to comply with its instructions.
The world football governing body said it had been notified about the crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and it views it as “undue interference”.
It said Nigeria must ensure that the NFF office in Abuja is occupied by the Amaju Pinnick faction by Monday, August 20.
The Glass House, as the NFF secretariat is called, has been occupied recently at different times by both the Chris Giwa and Pinnick factions.
FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday: “In line with art. 16 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, the Bureau of the FIFA Council decided that if by Monday, 20 August 2018, at 12:00 (CET), the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, who was duly elected on 30 September 2014, the NFF will be suspended with immediate effect for contravening art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19, as well as art. 14 par. 1 a) of the FIFA Statutes.
“The suspension would be lifted only once the NFF, under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, confirms that it has been given back effective control of the NFF and its offices.”
FIFA, however, said its decision will not affect the Falconets, Nigeria’s under-20 women team who are currently in France participating in the U-20 Women’s World Cup.
“Furthermore, the Bureau decided that if the suspension of the NFF takes effect, the Nigerian team currently competing in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 will still be allowed to continue to participate in the tournament on an exceptional basis given that the tournament is underway,” the statement read. (The Cable)
