Former Nigeria defender Kadiri Ikhana has called for a full investigation into the four-year tenure of the Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board, arguing that the group's mass resignation amounts to an open admission of failure.

Ikhana, 74, told Completesports.com on Thursday that stepping down from office is itself a concession of poor performance — and that accountability must follow.

A resignation is not enough

"Resignation from one's duty post is a sign of admittance of failure," Ikhana said. "But it shouldn't just end there. The NFF Board under Gusau should be probed. They should be made to account for whatever sum of money given to them since its tenure, for which no single result was achieved."

Ikhana, who won the 2003 CAF Coach of the Year award and guided Enyimba to their historic first-ever CAF Champions League title in 2003, pointed to a string of damaging absences on the international stage under the Gusau board.

"How many World Cup tournaments have the Super Eagles missed? How many U-20 World Cup finals have the Flying Eagles missed under this board? Or the U-17 Golden Eaglets?" he said. "And, worse still, for the first time, the Super Falcons couldn't qualify for the FIFA World Cup to be staged in Brazil next year. The failures are legendary, and they can't just be left to walk away simply because they resigned. No, not at all."

No fear of FIFA sanctions

Despite the unprecedented nature of a full board resignation in Nigerian football history, Ikhana dismissed concerns that the move could invite FIFA sanctions against the country.

The 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winner with Nigeria's then Green Eagles explained that voluntary resignations are covered within FIFA and NFF statutes, meaning the global governing body would have no grounds to intervene.

"I think there is a place in the FIFA/NFF Statutes that members can resign on their own, in which case FIFA wouldn't have any cause to wield its big stick," Ikhana said. "Resignation out of one's personal volition doesn't have to attract external sanctions. Their action was tailored towards making Nigeria football better, and FIFA should have no problems with that."

Ikhana also rejected any suggestion that the board members were pressured into their departure, insisting the resignations were voluntary and came after the officials themselves concluded they had fallen short of their responsibilities.