Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, has lost his seat on the FIFA Council after falling short by just one vote in the elections held at the 14th Extraordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo, Egypt.
Pinnick, who was seeking re-election to the 37-member FIFA Council, secured 28 votes, narrowly missing out to Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi, who claimed the fifth and final available seat with 29 votes.
The election saw Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa emerge as the top candidate with 49 votes, followed by Egypt’s Hani Abou Rida and Niger Republic’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou, who both received 35 votes. Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Waberi completed the list of successful candidates with 29 votes each.
Zambia’s Andrew Kamanga finished seventh with 19 votes, while Yacine Diallo of Ivory Coast and Senegal’s Augustin Senghor received 18 and 13 votes, respectively. Mathurin de Chacus of Benin withdrew before voting commenced.
In the women’s category, Kanizat Ibrahim of Comoros Islands won with 30 votes, defeating Lydia Nsekera, who polled 13 votes.
The election, held at the Marriott Mena House, saw all 54 CAF member associations participate. Nigeria’s vote was cast by NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, who attended alongside NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi.
Pinnick’s loss is seen as a significant setback for Nigerian football administration, as he had been considered a strong contender alongside Lekjaa and Abou Rida. His tenure on the FIFA Council, where he played a key role in advocating for African football, has now come to an end.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe, who was unopposed for a second term, retains his automatic seat on the FIFA Council, as stipulated by FIFA regulations. Africa holds seven seats on the Council, with one reserved for the CAF President and another for a female representative.
The newly elected members will serve on the FIFA Council, which is responsible for shaping global football policies and making key decisions on the sport’s development worldwide.
