Ibrahim Gusau elected as new NFF president after dramatic congress in Benin City

ZAMFARA State Football Association chairman Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau has been elected as the new president of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) at its annual congress which took place in Benin the Edo State capital yesterday.

After several weeks of intense campaigning, the elections finally held with Alhaji Gusau getting 21 votes, to see off a challenge from the NFF  first vice chair Seyi Akinwunmi who got 12 votes. Shehu Dikko, the chairman of Nigeria's League Management Committee came third with  six votes, while Abba Yola and Peterside Idah both had one vote each.

When it was obvious that a clear winner did not emerge as a result of Fifa rules, which states that the winner must score up to 51% of the total votes cast, a re-run was ordered. At this juncture Messrs Akinwunmi and Dikko stepped down but former Nigeria, Enyimba and Moroka Swallows goalkeeper Mr Idah opted to stay on and contest the second phase of the poll.

In the re-run, Mr Idah, who got one vote in the first round, still ended up with a solitary vote, while Alhaji Gusau polled 39 votes to emerge victorious. Alhaji Gusau, 58, a civil servant with the Zamfara Ministry of Finance, takes over from Amaju Pinnick who has been NFF chairman for the last eight years.

Meanwhile Enyimba of Aba chairman Felix Anyansi-Agwu was elected as the NFF first vice president defeating Senator Obinna Ogba, the chairman of the senate committee on sports by 15 votes. He won with 23 votes cast in his name while eight  votes went to Senator Ogba.

Delegates also elected representatives for the six geo-political zones to the NFF board and Alhaji Yusuf Fresh of Niger State was elected unopposed to the position of chairman of state FA chairmen. Alhaji Sharif Inuwa was elected to represent the northwest geo-political zone unopposed.

In the north central zone, Margaret Icheen was elected, edging past incumbent Alhaji Mohammed Alkali by 22 votes to 19 in a run-off. In the northeast, incumbent Babagana Kalli and Timothy Magaji were returned to represent the zone.

Essien Udofot and Aisha Falode won the two seats in the south-south after an interesting run-off saw Essien taking 19 votes to Falode’s 13, with first-round leader Poubeni Ogun coming third with seven votes. In the southeast geo-political zone, the race for seats was suspended due to a technicality.

In the southwest, Otunba Sunday Dele-Ajayi made a return to the NFF board alongside Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi. They both secured 12 votes each in a run-off that saw Gafar Liameed come third with seven votes and Afolabi Olugbenga come fourth place with four votes.