Amaju Pinnick Needs FG Support for a Second Term in FIFA, Says Ilaboya

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Former Chairman of Edo State Football Association, Frank Ilaboya, has called on the Federal Government to throw its weight behind the quest of Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to retain his seat on the FIFA Council.

Ilaboya, a strong voice on Nigerian football insisted yesterday that it is a thing of pride for a country to have her citizen amongst the 37-member FIFA Council that is the highest decision making body on world football.

“Amaju Pinnick deserves the backing of the Federal Government in his bid for a re-election to the FIFA Council. To have your citizen in this exclusive list of 37-member FIFA Council is certainly a thing of pride to any nation. I know the length several countries go to to get their men in there. I am very certain that his second term in FIFA will be more beneficial to Nigeria football at large,” observed Ilaboya who is a major stakeholder in the country’s sports.

He recalled that Pinnick in his first term got several Nigerians into the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA Committees with two of them: Justice Ayotunde Phillips (Member of the FIFA Ethics Committee, Adjudicatory Council), and Justice Roli Harriman (Chairman, CAF Appeals Board), amongst the prominent ones. Dr Christian Emeruwa and Mr Samson Adamu are heading key divisions in CAF.

“In present world football, the presence of your country’s men at the highest level of decision making is very crucial. We need our voice to be heard when certain decisions and policies are been made. Amaju Pinnick has represented us very well in this his first term and should be encouraged and supported to get another term in FIFA.”

Ilaboya is particularly excited by the bridges Pinnick has built in CAF and FIFA.

“We all are living witnesses to the encomium poured on Amaju Pinnick by both CAF President, Patrice Motseppe, and  FIFA President, Gianni Infantino. It is signs of how high his contributions to both CAF and FIFA are valued. Secondly, he’s the only Nigerian who has been able to do two terms in CAF to end the jinx of just one term for our administrators. Both Late Oyo Orok Oyo and Dr Amos Adamu could not get second term in CAF,” observed Ilaboya, CEO of Sportsville Limited, an independent producer of sports content on Channel Television and well over 30 radio and television stations across the country.

Amaju Pinnick will be seeking re-election at the FIFA Congress slated for Bangkok, Thailand on May 31, 2024. If he gets re-elected, he will automatically retain his seat on the executive committee of CAF to Nigeria’s advantage. As a ranking member, the possibility of Pinnick heading influential committees are surebet.

THISDAY learnt that Pinnick has made his intentions to seek a second term on the FIFA Council known to both the Foreign Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh. He’s banking of the ministers to help push his matter to the Presidency for Federal Government support to get Nigeria re-elected.

Those familiar with FIFA elections hinted at the weekend that Pinnick needs the support of the FG in his bid to return to the world body that is highly coveted by countries of the world. 

“It is an election that is full of intense lobbying, horse trading and massive campaigns. You just can’t seat down in your country and hope to swing votes in your favour. It involves serious travels to meet key stakeholders to get their assurances early. This is where I think Pinnick needs the federal might to pull through,” observed another former Nigerian football chief who do not want his name in print, at the weekend.