WAFU postpones Banjul elections, suspend executive committee

Kwesi Nyantakyi, Heads WAFU Interim Executive Committee

The West African Football Union, WAFU said it has postponed its Elections until later in the year, but have made a decision to suspend its current executive committee and appoints an interim committee.

Its President, Nigeria’s Amos Adamu has since been suspended from all football and football related activities for three years in November following claims he had asked for money in exchange of his 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding vote.

It is in this regard that WAFU decided to convene an “Extraordinary General Assembly” in Banjul, The Gambia on 9^th April, 2011 to elect a new president and an executive as well.

Adamu and his executive committee have been accused of being dormant during their unfinished-tenure.

However, after a detailed deliberation, consideration and review of the situation of football in West Africa, the General Assembly decided among other things, to cancel the elections.
 

“The General Assembly accepted a recommendation from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone elections to the Executive Committee of the WAFU until the former carries out a proposed review of the organisation of all zonal unions in Africa,” the West African football governing body said in a communiqué on Saturday.

The CAF Executive Committee is expected to discuss the review of zonal unions including WAFU at its meeting on May 16, 2011, to be followed by another meeting by the General Assembly of WAFU on May 31 in Zurich to discuss the proposals of CAF for its re-organisation, and as well fix a date for the election of a “substantive Executive Committee”.

The meeting in Zurich will also consider the financial statements of WAFU, activity report and proposals for amendment of its Constitution, activities that have not been thoroughly been addressed at its meeting in Banjul.  

In lieu of the postponement of the elections, WAFU said it has decided to suspend the current Executive Committee which has become dysfunctional and set up an interim Executive Committee to manage its affairs until elections are held later in the year.

The seven member interim executive committee is led by Kwesi Nyantakyi, the President of Ghana Football Association, with the presidents of football associations of Senegal, Augustin Senghore; Guinea Bissau, Jose Lobato; Gambia, Seedy Kinteh; Cote D’Ivoire, Idris Diallo; Burkina Faso, Theodore Sawadogo; and Mali’s Hamadou Cisse, as members of the executive committee.

In view of the current political situation in Cote D’Ivoire, the interim executive committee was mandated to consider moving the WAFU Secretariat to a country where it will be more functional.

The General Assembly noted the attendance of Mr. Mohammed Bin Hammam at the meeting and thanked him for that and as well wishes him well in his bid to become the President of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA).

Furthermore, the general assembly also reviewed the existing relations between Football Associations (FAs) of Members and their respective governments and thanked Governments in West Africa for the huge support given to football in their countries.

Governments were encouraged to continue to cooperate with their national football associations and provide the resources and facilities needed to develop the game in West Africa.

Member associations were also advised to employ all measures necessary to ensure a peaceful co-existence with their governments.

The event was co-organised by The Gambia Football Association (GFA) and WAFU.