If Nigeria does not reinstate the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari before Tuesday, the country may be risking being suspended, the apex football regulating body, FIFA has indicated.
Maigari and other NFF leaders were sacked from office as a result of a court ruling on Friday, while Maigari was also arrested on returning from the World Cup on the same day.
“FIFA has taken note of the detention of NFF President Aminu Maigari carried out by representatives of the Department of the State Security Service,” a FIFA statement read.
An Abuja High Court had on Thursday served a restraining order on the NFF leaders. The court had ordered the sports ministry to appointed one of its own officials to run the federation.
The face-off between NFF and the government followed Nigeria’s exit from the ongoing Brazil 2014 World Cup.
Nigeria had played a goalless draw with Iran in their first game, they had gone on to win their second group game with a lone goal over World Cup debutant, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the country had lost its final group game 3-2 to Argentina, qualifying for the next round with 4points. However, Nigeria’s world cup campaign was cut short with a 2-0 loss to France in the round of 16.
The country’s coach Stephen Keshi had resigned after the game citing unfair working condition occasioned by the NFF as one of the reasons for his resignation.
FIFA had written to NFF “expressing great concern over different actions taken by Nigerian public authorities,” over the removal of the federation’s leaders.
FIFA had also stated that it would not recognise an NFF election meeting reportedly billed for Abuja on Saturday.
The football governing body had said an official football congress scheduled for 26th August and “only decisions and persons elected then will be considered legitimate.”
In 2010, Nigeria’s government had reacted aggressively after the country’s national team, Super Eagles did not progress beyond the group stage in South Africa. The nation’s president, Goodluck Jonathan had threatened to shut down the national team for two years before FIFA intervened.
FIFA rules protect its 209 member federations from government interference, and a suspension bars teams and officials from taking part in international matches and meetings.
The national team’s next competitive matches are 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers in September.