Except the ever optimistic but politically experienced Amaju Melvin Pinnick, many Nigerians could not believe that he will win his re-election bid to return as the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday, September 20, 2018.
More baffling to Pinnick’s rivals and critics was the large number of votes he secured to beat his three co-contestants in the persons of Alhaji Aminu Maigari, a former NFF President; Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, ex- Secretary General of NFA and one Chinedu Okoye, a greenhorn in Nigeria football family.
Even with the last minutes horse-trading, alignment and realignment which reached fever- pitch with the arrival of the pre- election favourite, on paper though, Aminu Maigari who entered the election venue inside Katsina State Local Government Service Commission Hall with Siren blarring at high decibels.
As the Bauchi-born football administrator alighted from the vehicle in the company of the Oil magnet and Anambra State Football Association Chairman, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the atmosphere became very charged with the hordes of security services personnel clearing the way for the delegates to enter the hall.
One by one the hall was filled to the brim with delegates including contestants, Congress members who have the voting rights, Observers, Guests and members of the
Sporting Press who thronged Katsina from across Nigeria and beyond.
The arrival of the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari was to herald a near stampede into the hall and he quickly settled down to declare open the event after praising the NFF for its recent achievements in the field of play.
But everything changed immediately the Chairman of the 2018 NFF Electoral Committee, Barrister
Mohammed Sani Katu took over the proceedings by announcing the commencement of the elections into the various posts starting with the Presidency after the official dissolution of the NFF Executive Board inaugurated in Warri, Delta State last four years.
Two Congressmen, Sir Ephrem Chukwuemeka, Abia FA and Hon. Margaret Ichen of Benue FA moved and Seconded the motion to dissolve the former board.
At this point the tension enveloped the contestants and even their sympathisers with many unable to reply greetings in the hall or answer their telephone calls. With the hall now quiet the Secretary of the Electoral Committee, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi announced the mode of voting and a transparent ballot box placed in the full glare of everyone in the hall.
The Zero Hour saw the Chief Electoral Officer take a Roll Call of the 44 electorates who will cast their votes and one by one he called them out to Sign, Pick ballot paper and Secretly tick the Voter’s Choice before dropping the ballot into the Transparent Box. Starting with Abia state to Zamfara and the 7 others that made up the NFF 44 Electoral Votes.
After voting was completed, the Agents of the four contestants were invited to come to the podium for the Sorting and Counting of the casted votes.
The moment of truth came when the Chief Electoral Officer with a microphone loudly counted to the hearing of even the deaf how many votes each aspirant garnered. At the end Chinedu Okoye scored zero vote, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi got 2 votes while Alhaji Aminu Maigari scored a paltry 8 votes, leaving the self- acclaimed Destiny Child and incumbent President, Amajuoritse Melvin Pinnick to emass 34 votes.
In fact, Pinnick scored what former Nigerian flamboyant Second Republic politician, Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe will describe as Landslide Victory. And this victory could also be described as Hurricane with the wind, rain and flood that followed it afterwards.
His entire board members were returned to power except Otunba Sunday Dele-Ajayi who contested against Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi and lost woefully and Barrister Christopher Green who has finished his tenure.
Surprisingly, immediately after his Declaration as the winner of the hotly contested election, Pinnick was humble enough to leave his seat to cross over to the seats of his defeated opponents to offer his hands of fellowship and subsequently declared that there is no Victor and no vanquished in the Katsina election.
In the next few days, Hurricane Pinnick who is also the 1st Vice President of the Confederation of African Football ( CAF) and FIFA Competitions Organising Committee will unfold his New Vision of the Nigeria Football as he has pledged to uphold Association Football in the country and follow through Reforms and Development that will put Nigeria in a better position to avoid future crisis in the Football family.
The highly-commended election was witnessed by two FIFA officials, Lucas Piazza and Solomon Mudenge aa well as CAF Observer, Col. Stia Sangare. The trio were on their feet through the processes that produced the winners including Hurricane Pinnick.
