News: African Cup of Nations: Nigeria faces yet another FIFA suspension

UPDATE

News: Nigeria escapes FIFA suspension

African Nations Cup champions Nigeria have escaped suspension from international football for the second time in two months.

Football's governing body FIFA said on Monday the threat was lifted after a court case against the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) elections held on Sept. 30 was withdrawn.

The dropping of the case paved the way for FIFA-backed NFF president Amaju Pinnick and his executive to resume their duties after they were ousted by an interim ruling last Thursday by Justice Ambrose Allagoa who placed Chris Giwa in charge.

Judge Allagoa said the electoral congress that brought Pinnick to power was invalid but that ruling was no longer being supported by Giwa.

"FIFA has today sent a letter to the NFF in which it takes note the order granted by the Federal High Court, nullifying the NFF elections of Sept. 30, was definitely withdrawn and that the board...is able to carry out its activities without any hindrance," FIFA announced in a statement.
"We understand these events occurred before midday on Oct. 31 (the deadline). Consequently the case will not be referred to the FIFA emergency committee for implementation of the suspension of the NFF.
"However, FIFA will continue to closely monitor the situation in Nigeria."
The governing body had threatened Nigeria with a ban of at least seven months if the case was not dropped.
The decision means the team, if they qualify, can defend their Nations Cup title in January.
Nigeria, who are third in Group A, visit Congo on Nov. 15 and host South Africa four days later in their final two qualifiers.
The NFF was briefly suspended by FIFA in July and narrowly escaped a fresh ban in September over the legal quagmire involving the federation's elections.

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The Jos High Court ruled last Thursday that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) elections on Sept. 30 that elected Amaju Pinnick president be declared null and void, throwing the country's football back into crisis.

After Nigeria was suspended twice this year for government interference in the NFF, FIFA confirmed in a letter to the NFF in the lead-up to their latest elections that more meddling would bring about an automatic suspension to run at least until FIFA's elective congress in May 2015.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou had a meeting with Nigerian officials in Windhoek, Namibia on Saturday ahead of the final of the African Women's Championships that saw the Super Falcons defeat Cameroon.

Nigerian media reported Hayatou told sports minister Tammy Danagogo that unless the latest court order is reversed, FIFA will act on Monday. As yet, there have been no signs of that.

Justice Ambrose Allagoa ruled last week that the elective congress of the NFF on Sept. 30 should not be recognised as the Jos High Court had put in place 11 days earlier an order that the elections could not be held.

This injunction was brought by two members of the previous NFF executive led by Chris Giwa, which was stripped of its authority after elections that took it to power were deemed invalid by FIFA.

The court order was ignored by the NFF, which went ahead with their Sept. 30 congress and the Pinnick-led executive was put in place.

Justice Allagoa has ruled, however, that the original injunction remains in place and therefore the Sept. 30 congress should not be recognized.