Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima's bid to retain the FIFA Executive Committee seat for Nigeria ended Wednesday as he placed fifth among the contestants with only five votes.
Algeria Football Federation President, Mohamed Raouraoua was the man who took the seat vacated by suspended Dr. Amos Adamu, while Ivorian Federation chief, Jacques Anouma retained his seat.
As expected, Nigeria self-destructed following its disjointed campaign to get members to vote for the former NFF president as replacement for Adamu, who is currently serving a three-year suspension in the wake of vote bribery allegations.
Incidentally even a highly successful South Africa World Cup was not enough to get the brains the behind the spectacle, Danny Jordaan on the 24-man FIFA Executive Committee as he missed out, gaining only 10 votes to place fourth.
Sixty-four-year-old Raouraoua - who has had two separate terms at the head of Algerian football - won with 39 votes, while Anouma was re-elected for a second four-year term with 35 after the voting in Sudan.
Speaking after the election from Khartoum, Galadima said that he was called several times by CAF President, Issa Hayatou and his men to withdraw from the race but he declined to, because according to him, it would have been a disgrace to the Nigerian people and government who supported him hugely despite some underground tactics by those who believe its their birthright to remain in CAF and FIFA.
"People said before the vote that we were not going to get more than one vote, but we ended up with five and I believe, it was the goodwill of Nigerians and its government that gave us that number of votes, even when we had nobody in the CAF Executive Committee. Apart from that we also made new friends of football while old flames were rekindled. We have learnt a great deal from this adventure or misadventure, but we as a nation must be steadfast in our pursuit of truth and global ideals, otherwise this type of thing will continue to happen and it's not good for a country that brands itself, African giant."
Galadima, paid glowing tribute to the Nigerian media, declaring it the champion of truth and fairness, and urged other facets of the country to borrow a leaf from the media. "Honestly, if every Nigerian, especially those in authority had supported the cause like the media did, we would have made a mark here in Khartoum."
Galadima left Sudan soon after the voting to since return to Nigeria.
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