Sports Ministry endorses Pinnick, advises discretion on CAF presidency vote

The federal government has endorsed the candidature of NFF President Amaju Pinnick for a seat on the Executive Committee of Confederation of African Football, at the polls scheduled for next month’s Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The endorsement came through the office of  Youth and Sports Ministry.

At a meeting convened by Youth and Sports Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung in Abuja on Tuesday, Pinnick and members of his Executive Committee briefed the minister, and at the end, Barrister Dalung, the minister, said the Government of Nigeria has given its blessing to Pinnick’s quest and will fully support him.

concerning the CAF presidential election coming up at the same Congress in Addis Ababa, the gathering advised, that the NFF boss should use his discretion to vote for the candidate who will best serve Nigeria’s footballing interest. 

It should be noted that the incumbent CAF supremo Issa Hayatou, the former 400m and 800m champion of Cameroon and who has been in office since 1988, is being challenged by Mr. Ahmad Ahmad, president of the Malagasy Football Federation. 

The meeting also resolved that other stakeholders in Nigerian Football who have suggestions/advice/recommendations should tender same through the NFF and not in the media. 

Those that attended the meeting include members of the NFF Executive Committee, bar Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande and Mr. Chidi Ofo Okenwa who forwarded apologies for absence. 

It therefore mean that, Pinnick, vice president of WAFU B, a member of the Organizing Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations and member of the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions, is now cleared to challenge Beninoise Anjorin Moucharafou for a seat in the supreme club for football administration in Africa, at the 39th Ordinary Congress of CAF in Addis Ababa on Thursday, 16th March 2017. 

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