A former head of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, was unsuccessful in retaining his position on the FIFA Council, narrowly missing out by just one vote during elections held at the 14th Extraordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football in Cairo, Egypt.
Pinnick, who aimed to be re-elected to the 37-member FIFA Council, received 28 votes, falling short of Souleiman Waberi of Djibouti, who secured the fifth spot with 29 votes.
The election was closely contested, with Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa leading the pack with 49 votes, followed by Egypt’s Hani Abou Rida and Niger Republic’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou tying for second place with 35 votes each.
Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Djibouti’s Waberi completed the list of successful candidates with 29 votes each.
Andrew Kamanga of Zambia secured seventh place with 19 votes, while Yacine Diallo of Ivory Coast and Augustin Senghor of Senegal received 18 and 13 votes, respectively. Mathurin de Chacus of Benin Republic withdrew from the race before the voting process began.
In the women’s category, Kanizat Ibrahim of Comoros Islands emerged victorious with 30 votes, surpassing Lydia Nsekera who garnered 13 votes.
The election, held at the Marriott Mena House, saw all 54 CAF Member Associations voting for five male representatives and one female representative. The NFF President Ibrahim Gusau represented Nigeria at the event, accompanied by NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi.
Pinnick’s loss represents a significant setback for Nigerian football administration, as he was considered one of the leading candidates alongside Lekjaa and Abou Rida. His term on the FIFA Council concludes, having played a pivotal role as a voice for African football within the global governing body.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe, running unopposed for a second term, will maintain his automatic seat on the FIFA Council as mandated by the organization’s rules. Africa holds seven seats on the FIFA Council, including one reserved for the CAF President and another for a female representative.
The newly elected members will contribute to the FIFA Council’s responsibilities, which involve shaping the vision for global football development and making crucial decisions regarding international football.