Veteran football administrator Jonathan Abbey Pobee has tagged the just-ended Ghana Football Association (GFA) Elective Congress held in Tamale as a “back-door election”.
His statement comes on the back of incumbent President Kurt retaining his seat for a second term in office.
At the Elective Congress in Tamale, 117 out of the 120 delegates cast their votes in favour of Kurt Okraku who run unopposed following the disqualification of George Afriyie from running for the GFA Presidential seat.
In an exclusive interview with Selorm Adonoo on Citi FM’s Eye Witness News, Jonathan Abe Pobee expressed his frustration over the elections that was held at the Global Dream Hotel in Ghana’s Northern Regional capital.
I will term it as a back door election, this is not a genuine election.
When President Obama came to this country, he said we should allow our institutions to work, what do we see now?
I think we have forgotten that, this same incident happened to Nyantakyi some time ago, went to the same Tamale and what happened to him, later he was ousted by FIFA.
So they must think twice, what happened in Tamale was a very bad thing to do, it looks as if there are no laws in this country.
Two delegates voted against the incumbent president, and one chose not to participate in the activity.
Background
Kurt was first voted as president of the Association in October 2019, taking over from the Normalization Committee after Kwesi Nyantakyi was ousted after an Anas Aremeyaw Anas expose for alleged corruption.
Afriyie, a former GFA Vice President, was aiming to unseat the incumbent GFA President after losing out to him in 2019.
However, earlier in September, Afriyie was disqualified after the Elections Committee said he failed to provide the required number of GFA members to endorse his candidature, with his appeal also being thrown out by the Appeals Committee of the GFA.
Afriyie went on to file an application for injunction seeking to halt the presidential election, while also contesting his disqualification at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
There were a few major upsets in the race for positions on the GFA Executive Council.
Former Black Stars head coach James Kwesi Appiah got the nod to serve on the EXCO seats for the first time despite accepting to lead the Sudanese National Team while doubling as Technical Director for Kumasi Asante Kotoko [Member of the Interim Management Committee]
Kwesi Appiah will work alongside four other members who retained their seats on the Executive Council positions for the Betpawa Ghana Premier League.
Dr. Randy Abbey, Frederick Acheampong, Nana Oduro Sarfo and Kingsley Osei Bonsu.
For the Executive council positions in the Division One league, Samuel Anim Addo failed to retain his seat after serving there for the last four years.
Eugene Amoh Nobel & Gideon Fosu will join Vice President Mark Addo to lead the Division One league clubs for a four year term.
On the Women’s Executive Council position, Berry Ladies CEO, Gifty Oware Mensah went unopposed, receiving an overwhelming endorsement from all 20 premier league women’s club.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude as I write this message to express my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. It is an honor and a privilege to be given the opportunity to serve as the only woman member on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) executive council. Your… pic.twitter.com/WlKoVKI8EP
— Gifty Oware-Mensah (@afiaoware) October 6, 2023
The newly-elected GFA administration will serve a four-year term, expiring in 2027.