Amaju Pinnick has been cleared by the FIFA Review Committee to contest for a seat on the FIFA Council.
The Nigeria Football Federation boss was declared eligible to run following a lengthy and extensive scrutiny of his candidacy by the world football body.
The move clears the path for Pinnick to ascend to the highest decision making body of world football when elections are held at the Congress of the Confederation of African Football scheduled on 21 March 2021 in Rabat, Morocco.
There had been speculation the Nigeria FA boss will throw his hat in the ring for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidency but instead, Pinnick has thrown his weight behind South African Patrice Motsepe to become the next president of the CAF.
“Since 2014, when I first got into the office of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, I have always maintained that Nigeria and Africa deserves to be more visible in the administration of World Football and this is still part of that quest,” Pinnick said in a statement.
“I’m hoping to get the support of my friends and critics alike, as I take the next inevitable step, while counting on the massive goodwill I have gotten over the years from the football press and public,” he added.
Additionally, FIFA also approved the candidacies of the four aspirants to the CAF presidency.
Senegal’s Augustine Emmanuel Senghor, Jacques Bernard Daniel Anouma of Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa’s Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe and Ahmed Yahaya of Mauritania are all running to replace incumbent Ahmad Ahmad who has been banned from all football activities for five years.
The 37-member FIFA Council is the main decision-making body of the world football body that sets the vision for FIFA and global football.
Africa has seven members on the Council led by the CAF president who doubles as vice president of the Council by virtue his position as head of African football.
Other members from CAF include onstant Omari from the DR Congo, Egypt’s Hany Abo Rida, Walter Nyamilandu from Malawi, Burundi’s Lydia Nsekera, Guinea’s Almamy Kabele Camara and Tarek Bouchamaoui from Tunisia.
Pinnick will be looking to replace Camara on the Council.
