Amaju Melvin Pinnick, Wins NFF Presidency Back-to-Back

Amaju Melvin Pinnick, on Thursday became the first president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to be re-elected for another four-year term in office.

Pinnick took over the baton from Aminu Maigari on September 30, 2014 in Warri, who was second in the election. The formal Delta State Footballl Association Chairman is to lead Nigerian football till the 2022 World Cup to be hosted by Qatar.

Pinnick who was appointed the 1st Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last July, polled 34 votes out of the available 44 at the NFF Elective Congress, which held at the Kabir Aliyu Maska Conference Hall in Katsina.

Taiwo Ogunjobi former General Secretary of the NFF, scored just only two votes. The fourth candidate who is an amateur club proprietor, Chinedu Okoye, got no vote from the congress.

Seyi Akinwunmi, who defeated Otunba Sunday Dele-Ajayi 41-2 to be the first Vice President of NFF, One vote was voided.

Apart from Ganiu Majekodunmi (South-west) who is the only fresh face in the new executive committee, all Pinnick’s men retained their seats.

Ifeanyi Ubah who is the Chairman of Anambra FA, lost in his bid to unseat incumbent Ibrahim Gusau to become the Chairman of Chairmen in the new board.

Ubah pulled out of the race in the last minute when it became apparent that he was not going to succeed in his bid but the Electoral Committee insisted it was late as he had all the time to do so before arriving at the poll. He was roundly beaten 42-2 by Gusau.

In other elections, Busari Ishola chairman of Kwara State Football Association, was eliminated in the first round after polling only 10 votes, leaving Yusuf and Fresh to vie in the second.

 

Ahmed Yusuf Fresh and Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande retained their seats on the board after a nerve-jangling contest that went to three rounds.

Fresh edged it 22-21, and Ishola was then reinstated to challenge Yahaya-Kwande for the remaining slot from North-central.

In the Election

Yahaya-Kwande won by 28 votes to 14. For the South-south ticket to the board, Emmanuel Ibah of Akwa Ibom defeated Oswald Atuake 28 votes to 15 while Majekodunmi and Sharif Rabiu Inuwa were unopposed for the South-west and North-west slots.

In the South-east had three candidates, with Enyimba FC Chairman, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, winning the lone slot available (as Chidi Ofo Okenwa still has a seat as Chairman of the Nigeria National League).

Anyansi-Agwu polled 32 votes, to the nearest challenger Emmanuel Ochiagha’s 8. Jude Obikwelu and Emeka Inyama, who withdrew from the contest on the floor of the election, still got two votes and one vote respectively.

Pinnick's formal inauguration as the First Vice President of CAF will hold in  the General Assembly in Egypt on Sunday, September 30.