Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau was on Friday elected the new President of Nigeria Football Federation, succeeding Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick who was in the role for the past eight years.
Until Friday afternoon, debonair Gusau was Chairman of Chairmen of Nigeria Football, and also Chairman of the Zamfara State Football Association. He defeated Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, who until Friday afternoon was the NFF’s 1st Vice President, by polling 21 votes to Akinwunmi’s 12 in the first round.
Akinwunmi, who is Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, announced his withdrawal just before the run-off was to take place, just as Mallam Shehu Dikko (who polled 6 votes) and Alhaji Abba Abdullahi Yola (1 vote). However, former international goalkeeper Peterside Idah (1 vote in round one) refused to step down and earned another 1 vote in run-off, as Gusau coasted home with 39 votes.
The 58 –year old Gusau is a qualified accountant and a Safety and Security Officer for the Confederation of African Football.
The race for the presidency, which had 11 contestants, was whittled down before the ballot as Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam withdrew few days to the poll, while Barr. Musa Amadu, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande and Mr. Adam Mukhtar Mohammed pulled out just before the vote inside the auditorium.
Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, long-term Chairman of two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC, swept to the 1st Vice President position by trashing Senator Obinna Ogba (Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports Development) by 23 votes to 8.
