It was a day for the incumbents at the Elective Congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday, September 20, 2018 as only two new faces emerged to join the serving executive members, including President Amaju Melvin Pinnick.
The Kabir Aliyu Maska Conference Hall of the Local Government Commission in Katsina, the Katsina State capital was the rendezvous for football stakeholders in Nigeria to meet and give mandates to men, expected to seat in executive capacity in the running of Nigerian football for the next four years.
Without much ado, it was a bit surprising that all incumbent executive committee members retained their seats at the end of the election – the two new faces that joined the board either returned unopposed or faced a fresh face in the polls.
There appeared to be a different, major twist early in the morning when news surfaced about Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah openly declaring his support for the candidature of Aminu Maigari for the presidency, a move which was made official in a press conference before the start of the Congress.
Ubah’s declaration was the highlight of what was indeed an eve of high level politicking which for once threatened to upset the existing order as the financial muscle which accompanies such declaration cannot be overemphasised. Ubah himself was contesting against an incumbent, Ibrahim Gusau for the Chairman of Chairmen position and was willing to play the winner-takes-all game by adding a caveat that he would step down from his own contest should Maigari fail to win.
While the last minute twist did not come as a total surprise since that has become the trend every four years (the events of Warri 2014 is fresh in memory), what put observers at the edge or their seats was the daring nature with which it came. An election which looked easiest ever on paper suddenly has freaking feverish colouring, hovering in the air.
However, while the surprising twist lingered and could be felt inside the opening speeches of the contestants, what happened at the polls was more surprising as the victory for Amaju Pinnick was in a landslide fashion. The Deltan polled thirty four (34) out of the forty-four (44) available votes, leaving his competitors to divide ten among themselves in any ratio they liked.
That victory absolutely shaped the remainder of the electoral process with Ifeanyi Ubah making good his promise of stepping down from his aspiration to become the Chairman of Chairmen.
First Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi coasted home in a no-contest challenge with the estranged Sunday Ajayi 41-2 (1) while the remaining competitive contests were still among incumbents jostling to determine their Rank in the Executive Board.
The important message passed by the overwhelming victory at the polls is that of absolute trust in what the current set of executives seem to be doing or have done in the past four years, carrying with it; an expectation to leverage of the gains of the last term to make a real difference for Nigerian football.
We (at www.aclsports.com) shall start looking into what they have done poorly and must improve upon as from next week.
In the meantime, enjoy the poll results in all categories.
There were a total of forty-four (44) votes
PRESIDENT
Amaju Melvin Pinnick – 34 votes
Aminu Maigari – 8 votes
Taiwo Ogunjobi – 2 votes
Chinedu Okoye – 0 vote
First Vice President
Seyi Akinwunmi – 41 votes
Sunday Dele Ajayi – 2 votes
One vote voided
Chairman of Chairmen
Ibrahim Gusau (unopposed after Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah pulled out)
North Central
Ahmed Yusuf Fresh – 16 votes
Suleiman Kwande – 13 votes
Busari 10 votes
Second vote to decide first and second ranking on the board
Suleiman Yahaya Kwande 21
Yusuf Ahmed fresh 22
North East
Babagana Kalli – 32 votes
Farouk Adamu Yema – 6 votes
Musa Duhu – 5 votes
Second round
Musa Duhu – 34 votes
Farouk Yema – 7 votes
Duhu and Babagana win the slots
North West
Rabiu Inuwa Ahlan (returned unopposed)
South West
Ganiyu Majekodunmi (returned unopposed)
South-South
Emmanuel Ibah – 28 votes
Oswald Atuoke – 15 votes
Ibah wins
South East
Felix Anyansi-Agwu – 32
Emmanuel Ochiagha – 8
Jude Obikwelu – 2 (withdrew before voting)
Emeka Inyama – 1 (withdrew before voting)
Ayansi-Agwu wins
NEW NFF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Amaju Pinnick – President
Seyi Akinwunmi – 1st Vice President
Shehu Dikko – 2nd Vice President
Ibrahim Musa Gusau – Member
Ahmed Yusuf Fresh – Member
Felix Anyansi-Agwu – Member
Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande – Member
Babagana Kalli – Member
Sharif Rabiu Inuwa – Member
Chidi Ofo Okenwa – Member
Aisha Falode – Member
Mohammed Alkali – Member
Musa Duhu – Member
Ganiyu Majekodunmi – Member
Emmanuel Ibah – Member
Mohammed Sanusi – Secretary
