Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has instructed that the general assembly of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) which had been called to vote on replacing the commission handling a presidential election be canceled.

 The vote has become a daytime drama plagued with incessant violence that has attracted international attention because FIF had appeared like it wants to bar Didier Drogba as a potential candidate.

A FIF emergency committee ruled by the electoral commission was shelved for serious shortcomings and scheduled an extraordinary general meeting on August 29 to install another commission. But in a letter dated August 21, FIFA challenged FIF saying that the “the emergency committee is not competent to suspend the FIF electoral process,” which must resume without delay.

Drogba officially submitted his candidacy for the presidency on August 1 having struggled to get the required sponsor but in addition to Drogba, former third vice-president of the FIF, Idriss Diallo, supported by the Football Players’ Association, and the current vice-president of the Federation and president of the League, Sory Diabate had already submitted their candidacies.