Amaju Melvin  Pinnick will be seeking re-election as FIFA Council member in the CAF Elective congress slated for 12^th February 2025 in Cairo, Egypt.

Pinnick who is also former Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) President  has been among  the six African  football leaders that represented  the African  continent on the FIFA Executive Council after a landslide victory in 2021 when he humbled then  Malawian FA president Walter Nyamilandu by 43 votes to eight during the CAF General Assembly held in Rabat .

He becomes the third Nigerian elected into the prestigious council after Oyo Orok Oyo (1980-1988) and Amos Adamu (2006-2010).

The strong man has close backing from the crème de crème of African football leadership the likes of Morocco FA President Fouzi Lekjaa who will also be seeking re-eclection as A FIFA Council member and many of the strong North African countries.

Pinnick is also known to be very close to FIFA President Gianni Infantino who has oftenly praised his work and was quoted saying after Pinnick’s 2021 win

“I have no doubt that your experience, your knowledge, not to mention your passion, your sense of consensus and your personal qualities, will help you to meet future challenges at the service of the world football community”

The joint announcement by both Cecafa and Cosafa that they will back both Andrew Kamanga of Zambia and Waberi of Djibouti has not shaken the Delta-born administrator who served as CAF Vice-President in Ahmad Ahmad’s administration between September 2018 and July 2019, before he was removed unprocedurally but ensured current CAF President Patrice Motsepe was elected to office by ensuring he was one of the leaders to give open support to Motsepe

“We known how football politics is played and as much as we see announcements of mergers being made it doesn’t worry us as we are also working in silence for the success to talk later” Pinnick told Soka25east.com

As a FIFA Council Member,Amaju Pinnick   made   important contributions to FIFA and, most importantly, to the development football, which unites the entire continent.

Asked on his opinion about Pinnick’s candidature one of the strongest people in African football RMFF President Faouzi Lekjaa said

“Pinnick’s Work speaks for itself and he has been a very supportive colleague.I remember in the first time I sort the CAF Exco seat he fully backed my candidature and we went all the way to win “ .

Other contestants for the 6 FIFA Council seats include Faouzi Lekjaa of Morocco,Hani Abou Rida (Egypt), Waberi (Djibouti), Idriss Diallo(Cote D’Ivoire), Mathurin (Benin), Djibrilla(Niger),Andrew Kamanga(Zambia) , Senghor(Senegal)

Women:

Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros)

Isha Johansen(Sierra Leone)

Lydia Nsekera (Burundi)

Only one Woman gets the nod and 5 men from the Confederation of African football