Pinnick ordered to support Hayatou during CAF polls

The current CAF president, Issa Hayatou, from Cameroon, seems to have gotten an endorsement from Nigeria’s government, in his bid to be re-elected again.

It has been reported that the government has ordered the country’s football association to back Issa Hayatou, according to a senior official, on Monday.

Recall that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick, has publicly came out in support of Hayatou’s main opponent, Ahmad Ahmad, but a decree is coming from the top now to him to drop his support for Ahmad.

Pinnick’s backing for Madagascar’s Ahmad seems to be widening the gap between the NFF and the Nigeria sport’s minister, Solomon Dalung, and Nigerian members of CAF’s executive committee.

A senior official, who preferred anonymity, in the presidency established that a meeting chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has ordered Pinnick to vote for Hayatou due to the co-existing ties between Nigerian and Cameroon.

He said: “There is an existing joint relationship between Nigeria and Cameroon and most recently both countries collaborated in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency,” he added.

“We can’t afford to jeopardise this relationship.

“Pinnick has therefore been ordered to cast his vote for Hayatou even if every other country failed to do so, as Nigeria does not owe Madagascar anything.”

Nigeria has been fighting Islamist rebels Boko Haram since 2009 in a conflict that has left at least 20,000 people dead and displaced more than 2.6 million.

Nigeria with Cameroon, as well as Chad and Niger, have been fight Islamist extremist, Boko Haram since 2009, which by implication could be an added advantage for Hayatou to get Nigerian’s support.

The sport’s minister, Dalung, had earlier this month indicated his interest for Nigerian vote to go for Hayatou and said this was in the country’s interest and for a reason of geographical proximity but also being “a true friend”.