By Tony Ubani in Addis Ababa
President Issa Hayatou and his loyalists to today’s CAF elections have promised to do something dramatic if the Septuagenarian turns back the hand of the clock to win the CAF Presidential election against his Madagascar opposition, Hamad.
Issa Hayatou
The number of Hayatou’s loyalists who have turned against the Camerounian who has ruled CAF for 29 years has sent a warning signal to him.
One of his trusted aides confessed yesterday at the lobby of Radisson Blue hotel that Hayatou will not see out his tenure as CAF President if he eventually wins today.
The aide who begged for anonymity said that Hayatou was stunned to see the growing opposition against him and confided that he would resign before the end of his tenure for his deputy to see off his tenure and organize a credible election that will see a new entrant to the office.
“He’s shocked at the growing dissent against him. He truly means well for African football and only wanted to stay in office when his country(Cameroun) hosts the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. He feels that that will be a befitting way to quit CAF. There is no doubt that he(Hayatou) has contributed immensely to the growth of African football. But he feels pained that many have ridiculed him asking what his achievements are”. I tell you that only a miracle will make Hayatou not to win. But when he wins, he has been humbled and will do the noble thing not to go the distance”, the source volunteered.
However, the opposition were locked up in their hotel rooms yesterday to avoid being compromised by money bags. “We’ll take their money and vote our conscience”, another source from the change mantra insisted.
CAF Presidency in history
Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem (Egypt) – 1957 – 1958
Abdel Aziz Mostafa (Egypt) – 1958 – 1968
Abdel Halim Mohamed (Sudan) – 1968 – 1972
Ydnekatchew Tessema (Ethiopia) – 1972 – 1987
Abdel Halim Mohamed (Sudan) – 1987 – 1988 (acting capacity)
Issa Hayatou (Cameroon) – 1988 –
Those who will vote
Mohamed Raouraoua (Algeria)
Artur de Almeida (Angola)
Anjorin Moucharafou (Benin Republic)
Mclean Letshwiti (Botswana)
Sita Sangare (Burkina Faso)
Reverien Ndikuriyo (Burundi)
Sidiki A Roko (Cameroon)
Victor Osorio (Cape Verde)
Edouard Ngaissona (Central Africa Republic)
Mahamoud Moctar (Chad)
Tourqui Salim (Comoros)
Jean Michel Mbono (Congo)
Omari Constant Selemani (DR Congo)
Augustin Sidy Diallo (Cote d’Ivoire)
Souleiman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti)
Hany Abo Rida (Egypt)
Andres-Jorge Mbomio (Equatorial Guinea)
Juneidi Tilmo (Ethiopia)
Pierre Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
Lamin Kaba Bajo (The Gambia)
Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana)
Mohamed Souare (Guinea)
Manuel Lopes Nascimento (Guinea Bissau)
Nicholas Mwendwa Kithuku (Kenya)
Salemane Phafane (Lesotho)
Musa Bility (Liberia)
Jafaar (Libya)
Ahmad Ahmad (Madagascar)
Walter Nyamilandu (Malawi)
Boubacar Diarra (Mali)
Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania)
Mohamed Ally Samir Sobha (Mauritius)
Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
Alberto Junior (Mozambique)
Frans Mbidi (Namibia)
Melvin Amaju Pinnick(Nigeria)
Hamidou Djibrilla (Niger Republic)
Vincent Nzamwita (Rwanda)
Domingos Monteiro (Sao Tome e Principe)
Augustin Senghor (Senegal)
Elvis Chetty (Seychelles)
Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone)
Abdiqani Said Arab (Somalia)
Danny Jordaan (South Africa)
Augustino (South Sudan)
Mutasim Gafaar Sirelkhatim (Sudan)
Adam Mthethwa (Swaziland)
Jamal Malinzi (Tanzania)
Kossi Akpovy (Togo)
Wadie Jary (Tunisia)
Moses Magogo (Uganda)
Andrew Kamanga (Zambia)
Phillip Chiyangwa (Zimbabwe)
