Reports in Nigeria have claimed that instead fresh elections will be held on Thursday (September 23).

They are due to be supervised by Algeria's Mustapha Berraf, the first vice-president of Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).

The IOC reportedly sent a letter to the NOC President and Secretary-General of NOC, Habu Gumel and Olabanji Oladapo following the election of Ndanusa and several other officials last Thursday (September 16) warning that they did not recognise the election because it had taken place without the "legitimate authorities of the NOC".

"The IOC and ANOCA do not and will not recognise the meeting held on September 16, 2010 which was not called by the incumbent office bearers and was thus illegally constituted," the IOC letter reportedly said.

"Therefore, we consider the election held on September 16 null and void."

Gumel, a member of the IOC, and Ndanusa, Nigeria's former Sports Minister, have had a long-running dispute over the NOC elections and the matter had been referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The IOC claim that following the announcement of that decision Oladapo had correctly called elections for September 23 and they were the ones that they recognised.

"In the meantime, we will advise our partners and stakeholders in the Olympics Movement at large, that they should continue to recognise the office bearers which are officially recognised by IOC," the IOC letter said.

"We will keep them informed about the follow up and the results of the elections to be held on 23 September 2010.

"This is particularly important in relation to the future participation of Nigerian athletes in all high level competitions, not least the Commonwealth Games, the authorities of which we will keep abreast of the progress of this case."

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