Amaju Melvin Pinnick, the former president of the Nigeria Football Federation, lost his seat on the FIFA Council in elections at the 14th Extraordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football in Cairo, Egypt, by a mere one vote.
Pinnick, who was seeking re-election to the 37-member FIFA Council, garnered 28 votes, narrowly missing the threshold achieved by Souleiman Waberi of Djibouti, who secured the fifth and final spot with 29 votes.
The closely contested election saw Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa emerge as the clear frontrunner with 49 votes, whilst Egypt’s Hani Abou Rida and Niger Republic’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou tied for second place with 35 votes each.
Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Djibouti’s Waberi completed the list of successful candidates with 29 votes apiece.
Zambia’s Andrew Kamanga finished seventh with 19 votes, followed by Yacine Diallo of Ivory Coast with 18 votes and Senegal’s Augustin Senghor with 13 votes. Mathurin de Chacus of Benin Republic withdrew from the race before voting commenced.
In the women’s category, Kanizat Ibrahim of the Comoros Islands secured victory with 30 votes, defeating Lydia Nsekera, who received 13 votes.
The election, which took place at the Marriott Mena House, saw all 54 CAF Member Associations casting votes for five male representatives and one female representative. Nigeria’s vote was cast by NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, who attended the event alongside NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi.
Pinnick’s defeat marks a significant setback for Nigerian football administration, as he had been regarded as one of the frontrunners alongside Lekjaa and Abou Rida. His tenure on the FIFA Council comes to an end after serving as a prominent voice for African football at the global governing body.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe, who was unchallenged for a second term, will retain his automatic seat on the FIFA Council as stipulated by the organisation’s regulations. Africa holds seven seats on the FIFA Council, with one automatically reserved for the CAF President and another designated for a female representative.
The newly elected members will serve on the FIFA Council, which is responsible for setting the vision for global football development and taking decisions on key aspects of the international game.
