CAF Elections: Leave Pinnick Alone
195 viewsSo, the wise one, our Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung has summoned an emergency meeting of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board. On the burner is the Confederation of African Football (CAF) elections and it seems our own NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, is pitching his tent with Madagascar's FA President Ahmad Ahmad. Ahmad is challenging 70-year old and longest serving CAF President, Camerounian Issa Hayatou, for the coveted CAF Presidency seat. Ahmad has the support of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
It seems Dalung and some Nigerians in CAF committees are not happy that Pinnick did not consult them before pitching his tent with Ahmad. These CAF committees’ members are not members of NFF board, and so it is arguable if Pinnick has any obligation to consult them.
Pinnick however has solid support of most members of his immediate constituency, the NFF board and they have vowed that any attempt by Dalung and his gang to force the board to change the position it reached at its December 18 Congress where it gave Pinnick the mandate to use his discretion in voting at the CAF election will be resisted.
Declared Pinnick’s supporters “nobody can force us to go against the position we reached at the December 18 Congress. We have taken a stand and given the President go ahead to use his discretion in voting for the candidate that will advance the growth of football in the country. Why are they now fretting that Amaju has openly declared his support for Ahmad Ahmad?”.
The argument of the Dalung camp is not that Hayatou's CAF Presidency benefited Nigeria so much that he deserves our continuous support. No! Their grouse is that Pinnick made his decision without consulting them.
Meanwhile, there is only one vote per each federating member of CAF and as NFF President it is Pinnick's right to cast that vote on behave of NFF according to his conscience, or discretion. Now, Pinnick has told everyone that he will exercise that discretion in favour of Ahmad and the Heavens are falling.
I am not much of a fan of Amaju Pinnick but on this one I support him. Issa Hayatou has been on the CAF throne for 29 years – almost 30 years. In those 30 years he has done his best, and he has done well for himself and for African football. But I think a time comes when a leader should quit the stage willingly, especially when the ovation is loudest. After 30 years as CAF President Hayatou has nothing else to offer African football. It is time he left. Haba! What is with Africa and sit-tight syndrome?
I support Amaju Pinnick's position. We have been crying that Nigeria does not get involved in the politics of African football. Now Pinnick has thrown himself headlong into it and we are complaining. Why? What else has Hayatou to offer? It is time to look to new faces who can drive new ideas for the future of African football. Nigeria should be in the thick and thin of that new initiative.
I can understand Dalong as Sports Minister wanting to have a say in whatever happens in the sports sector, especially given that government is the highest financier of sports in Nigeria, but attempting to use entrenched interests in CAF committees to destabilize NFF is a no-no for me. These so-called CAF committees’ members have not brought anything beneficial to Nigerian football. I do not see why CAF election should even merit our Sports minister’s time unless of course he is telling us he has nothing else to do.
I think Dalung should leave Pinnick alone. Let him concern himself with providing sporting infrastructure and the enabling environment for real development of Nigerian sports driven by private sector. Dalung should not throw Nigerian football into another crisis. It is becoming obvious that that is his objective with this emergency meeting.