What a FIFA Normalisation Committee Could Do in Nigeria
A FIFA Normalisation Committee tasked with resolving a governance crisis within a football federation would typically have responsibilities that extend beyond simply organising fresh elections, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Previous interventions involving countries such as Ghana, Cameroon, Iraq, Guinea and Pakistan indicate that normalisation processes can involve administrative reforms, reviews of football governance structures and the eventual transfer of authority back to elected officials.
While the exact responsibilities depend on the circumstances of each case, the process can generally involve several stages.
1. FIFA appoints the Normalisation Committee
FIFA, usually in consultation with the relevant confederation, appoints members of the committee to temporarily oversee the affairs of the football federation.
2. Members undergo eligibility checks
The appointed members are subjected to the necessary eligibility and background checks before assuming their responsibilities.
3. Administration is taken over
Once constituted, the committee assumes responsibility for the federation’s day-to-day administration while ensuring that football activities continue during the transition.
4. Statutes and Electoral Code are reviewed
The committee examines the federation’s statutes and electoral regulations, identifying areas that may require amendment or alignment with FIFA and confederation requirements.
5. Congress and voting structures are verified
Where there are disputes over legitimate delegates or voting rights, the committee can review the composition of the federation’s Congress and determine who is eligible to participate.
6. Football structures and membership may be scrutinised
Depending on the nature of the crisis, FIFA can require a review of clubs, members and other football structures. Pakistan, for instance, underwent scrutiny of its football clubs as well as elections at district and provincial levels during its normalisation process.
7. Electoral bodies are reconstituted
Electoral and Elections Appeal Committees may be established or reconstituted to oversee the eventual election under an agreed framework.
8. Revised rules are adopted
Any required amendments to the statutes and Electoral Code are presented to the appropriate Congress or General Assembly for consideration and adoption.
9. An electoral roadmap is produced
The Normalisation Committee can then establish the electoral timetable, eligibility criteria, nomination procedures and other requirements leading to the election.
10. Elections are conducted
Depending on the structure of the federation, the process may involve elections at lower levels before culminating in the election of the national federation’s Executive Committee.
11. New leadership takes over
Once the electoral process is completed, the newly elected Executive Committee assumes responsibility for the administration of the federation.
12. Handover and exit
The committee hands over administrative and, where applicable, financial responsibilities to the elected leadership. After completing the tasks assigned to it, FIFA brings the Normalisation Committee’s mandate to an end.
For Nigeria, such precedents indicate that a Normalisation Committee, if eventually appointed, could potentially be required to address issues beyond the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Those areas could include the NFF Statutes, Electoral Code, Congress composition, electoral bodies, membership structures and the credibility of the eventual electoral process.
However, the specific scope and duration of any Normalisation Committee in Nigeria would ultimately depend on the mandate established by FIFA, in consultation with CAF where applicable, and the circumstances surrounding the country’s football governance crisis.
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