The president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Melvin Amaju Pinnick has joined six soccer top shots from Africa to represent the continent on the Executive Council of global governing body, FIFA, megasportsarena.com reports.
Pinnick was elected into the council after a landslide victory over Malawi FA president, Walter Nyamilandu by 43 votes to eight during the CAF General Assembly that held in Rabat, Morocco on Friday.
He becomes the third Nigerian elected into the prestigious council after Oyo Orok Oyo (1980 to 1988) and Amos Adamu (2006 to 2010), to be joined by Egypt’s Hany Abou Rida, Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa, Mali’s Mamoutou Toure, Benin’s Mathurin De Chacus and Sierra Leone’s Aisha Johansen in the main decision-making organisation of the world football body.
Pinnick’s vote came on the same day South African billionaire and Africa’s ninth richest person Patrice Motsepe has been confirmed as Confederation of African Football (CAF) new president during the football body’s 43rd Ordinary General Assembly.
Motsepe, who is the owner of South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, was elected unopposed to replace outgoing Ahmad Ahmad, whose three-year reign promised much but was ultimately mottled by accusations of nepotism, corruption and embezzlement.
He was suspended in November after being found guilty of breaching four separate articles of Fifa’s ethics code and banned from all football-related activity for five years, after the 59-year-old gained from the intervention of FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, who brokered a deal with other candidates.
The 50-year-old Pinnick, who was re-elected as NFF boss in 2018 and he is currently serving his second term after his first triumph in 2014, previously served as CAF vice-president in Ahmad Ahmad’s administration between September 2018 and July 2019, before he was removed and succeeded by Constant Omari.
In addition to his role as a member of CAF Executive Committee, the Delta-born administrator, who started his positioning as the chairman of Delta State Sports Commission in 2010 and was then appointed chairman of Delta State Football Association a year later, is also a member of the Organising Committee for FIFA competitions.
Prior to his success at the polls, Pinnick’s ambition was backed by the Federal Government of Nigeria in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nebolisa Anako.
The statement read in part: “On behalf of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, and all Nigerians, we hereby pledge our unflinching support to Mr Pinnick because his victory would be our collective victory.
“[Sports Minister] Mr Dare believes Amaju can use his position and connections in CAF and FIFA to help promote and develop Nigeria and African football in all ramifications. Let us be resolute and firm in our support…This is no time to stand on the fence, but to be partakers in the scheme of things.”
