Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, has lost his seat on the FIFA Council by a single vote at the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo, Egypt.
Narrow Loss in Tight Election
Pinnick, seeking re-election to the 37-member FIFA Council, secured 28 votes but was edged out by Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi, who claimed the final spot with 29 votes.
Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa led the election with 49 votes, followed by Egypt’s Hani Abou Rida and Niger’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou with 35 votes each. Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Waberi also secured 29 votes to complete the five successful candidates.
Other Election Outcomes
Zambia’s Andrew Kamanga finished seventh with 19 votes, while Yacine Diallo (Ivory Coast) and Augustin Senghor (Senegal) received 18 and 13 votes, respectively. Benin’s Mathurin de Chacus withdrew before voting began.
In the women’s category, Comoros’ Kanizat Ibrahim won with 30 votes, defeating Lydia Nsekera, who managed 13 votes.
All 54 CAF Member Associations participated, with Nigeria’s vote cast by NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, accompanied by NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi.
Impact on Nigerian Football
Pinnick’s loss is a setback for Nigerian football, ending his tenure as a strong African voice in global football governance. His exit leaves Nigeria without a direct representative on FIFA’s top decision-making body.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe, unopposed for re-election, retains his automatic FIFA Council seat. Africa has seven FIFA Council seats, including one for the CAF President and one for a female representative.
The newly elected FIFA Council members will shape global football policies and governance in the coming years.
