…as NFF boss campaigns against Hayatou’s re-election
Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, may be treading on dangerous paths, as he intensifies efforts to truncate the ambition of the longest serving Confederation of African Football President, Issa Hayatou, to remain in power, in the forthcoming continental election, coming up in Ethiopia this month.
Only few football administrators understand the politics of African football, especially when top ranked officials are fighting for positions in the executive arm of the continent’s football ruling body.
Since Hayatou snatched power in 1988, only one man from Nigeria, Dr Amos Adamu, apart from Otubom Orok Oyo, has had the privilege to serve in his cabinet and the Cameroonian lifted the former Sole Administrator of the defunct Nigeria Football Association to the highest position in FIFA, before he finally met his waterloo.
Former presidents of NFF, Dominic Oneya, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima and Alhaji Aminu Maigari, tried all they could to be elected into the CAF executive committee, but failed to penetrate the cabal in CAF.
Now it is Pinnick’s turn to seek a place in CAF executive committee, but he has become a tool in the hands of FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, who wanted Hayatou out by all means.
The FIFA boss has been preaching against Hayatou’s long tenure, with the support of some Football Association members across the continent. He had informed Africans to vote out Hayatou when they go to the poll at the 39th CAF Ordinary General Assembly on March 16 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Hayatou is contesting against Madagascar’s football President, Ahmad Ahmad.
The FIFA boss’ grouse was that Hayatou did not vote for him, to become FIFA president. Infantino alleged that Hayatou had told FIFA delegates to vote for the Asian Football Confederation President, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, at the last election.
Apart from that, Infantino wanted to end the old order in world football, by easing out old men with long history in football administration across the globe and allow young and fresh blood to take charge of the round leather game globally.
Infantino, a former UEFA Secretary-General, won the FIFA presidency by 115 to 88 votes, in the second round of balloting. Infantino was said to have visited South Africa, Zimbabwe and some other African countries, campaigning for Ahmad through the Council of Africa Football Association.
Nigeria is leading the West African block with Ghana also playing active role. Hayatou has been challenged for the presidency only twice, by Angola’s Armando Machado and Ismael Bhamjee of Botswana, both rivals coming from Southern Africa, who he inflicted humiliating defeats on.
Most observers believe that Ahmad poses a greater threat to Hayatou, but he remains the outsider. Under a change introduced last year, CAF presidents are restricted to three four-year terms, starting from March.
It is no longer a secret that Pinnick is seeking a seat on the African stage and this has been greeted with lots of criticisms. Pinnick is seeking election into the CAF Football Executive Committee to displace the incumbent and long standing member, Anjorin Moucharafou, who is also the head of Benin Republic Football Federation. Pinnick’s declaration of his intention ahead of the election in March comes at a time his credibility was in tatters.
Under Pinnick, Nigerian football has also gone through many low moments, like missing out on two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations’ tournaments. But being NFF president during one of the most challenging time economically in Nigeria has given Pinnick little chance to succeed.
While Pinnick is far from the perfect candidate, Nigeria deserves a place in CAF, but his nomination has almost torn the NFF apart. Recently, Nigerians serving in different committees in CAF, had kicked against the endorsement of Madagascar’s FA President by Pinnick.
All Nigerians in CAF’s committees, including: Brig-General Oneya (rtd), Alhaji Sani Lulu, Maigari, Mr Amanze Uchegbulam, Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba, Mr Paul Bassey, Mr Chris Green and the only female in their midst, Aisha Falode, issued a statement insisting that Pinnick’s decision to dump the incumbent Hayatou, who is seeking eighth term as CAF president, for Ahmad was purely a personal matter.
They insisted that no Nigerian in CAF or the supervising Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports was consulted before the NFF chief decided to announce the country’s support for the candidate from the Southern part of the African continent.
The statement said, “Pinnick as an individual has a right to declare support for whoever he pleases, but when such support is made in the name of Nigeria, then there is need for extreme caution, given the political colouration of CAF elections, which we are well grounded and versed in.
“CAF elections are not about individuals. Countries support their candidates, finance such elections, set up various committees led by ministers, diplomats and football people to lobby and canvass across the continent in high level diplomatic sojourns armed with mani festo publications and letters of introduction etc.
Regrettably, we cannot claim to have done any of the above, yet the election is less than a month away.”
They insisted that while Hayatou remains a friend of the country, having previously supported most of the football fiestas hosted by the country, as well as helping Nigerians into various CAF positions, Ahmad has not been here to canvass support.
“The CAF President, Hayatou, who is a FIFA Senior Vice President, overtime, has been a pillar of support and true friend of Nigerian football. His service to the round leather game cannot be disputed given the giant strides that football in the continent has taken especially in the areas of sponsorship and partnership, and the spread of the game to all nooks and corners of the continent,” they said.
Meanwhile, the NFF Chairman of Chairmen, Ibrahim Gusau, has described those Nigerians in CAF committees drumming support for Hayatou as selfish people. Gusau said, “Some of those criticising Pinnick for supporting another candidate apart from Hayatou are selfish, because some of them have been in that system for decades and they believe that without Hayatou they cannot retain their seats.
“They don’t have the interest of Nigeria and besides, what has the country benefited from them since they have been there?” He insisted that it was the same Hayatou that stood vehemently that Africa was not going to support Infantino for presidency during the FIFA election.
“Infantino is the same President that appointed the first African as Secretary General of FIFA. So I believe Pinnick, being Nigeria’s representative, knows what is best for Nigeria and we have given him the mandate to contest a seat in CAF executive, and also vote for any presidential candidate that will benefit Nigeria,” he added.
Nigeria stand to lose a lot politically for not backing Hayatou’s candidacy. Apart from the fact that Nigerians in CAF committees may be replaced, there is also tendency that no Nigerian referee will be considered for international assignments.
There may also be a ploy to keep Nigeria out from every benefit that could boost the nation’s grassroots initiative programmes. Those in CAF committees have seen the end result of Pinnick’s wrong foot on a delicate issue at the moment.
