The 43-year-old won 25 votes in the first round, short of the two thirds required for an outright victory, before polling 32 votes in the second round, with his rivals Dominic Iorfa from Benue State and Taiwo Ogunjobi from Osun on eight and four votes respectively.

In the first round, Ogunjobi polled nine votes, Iorfa won six votes, Shehu Dikko from Kaduna gained four votes while nobody voted for Imo's Amanze Uchegbulam or Anambra's Mike Umeh.

Several problems arose in the build-up to the polls, with reports that Samson Ebomhe, chairman of the NFF Electoral Committee, had been arrested by officers from Nigeria's main intelligence agency, the State Security Service. 

The polls went ahead despite a court injunction barring it from taking place.

An injunction was purportedly granted to a group led by self-acclaimed NFF President Chris Giwa.

The group has twice been turned back by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in recent weeks, but a petition challenging the validity of the NFF General Assembly was last week upheld by a Jos High Court which then issued an injunction against the elections.

Incumbent NFF President Aminu Maigari, his General Secretary Musa Amadu and the Sports Minister Tamuno Danagogo are expected in court on October 8, with the election result likely to be challenged. 

Pinnick vowed during his campaign to "reduce to appropriate levels litigation and cases involving the NFF" as part of one of his main policy objectives to "create an atmosphere of stability and peace through various developmental models".

He has promised to "encourage a genuine but robust relationship between the NFF and all stakeholders" and his platform includes a commitment to seek more private sector participation in Nigeria's football development.

Former striker Segun Odegbami believes Nigeria are underachieving due to a lack of administrative development ©Getty Images


Speaking about the ensuing court case, Pinnick said: "The plan is to make genuine reconciliatory moves.

"I will personally go to Jos to see and speak to Chris Giwa because we all need to come together for the sake of our country and football.

"I have already received calls from top corporate directors saying they will support us just by the names on the new NFF Board, a clear indication that there is light and positivity ahead."

With Nigerian football in turmoil, former striker Segun Odegbami has blamed the absence of proper administrative structure for the lack of sustainable growth. 

"Our football has been developing slowly and steadily but our administration has not been developing at the same pace," he said.

"We have been winning and qualifying for a few competitions and so on but some of us think that we should have done better than we are doing now.

"We ought to have on a much higher level.

"What we have now is structurally deficient and it is fraught with all kinds of possibilities to manipulate, be unfair bias, to put some people in certain positions and so on."

Odegbami maintained Nigeria's problems are internal and have nothing to do with FIFA.

"It is us that took our problems to them and they just come and give a solution whether it is right or wrong," the ex-player added.

"This time around we must tell them to stay back for us to look at our issues ourselves and resolve them."