Kurt Okraku has been re-elected as the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for his second term. The election, which took place on October 5, 2023, at the Global Dream Hotel in Tamale, Northern Region, was a one-sided affair. Okraku secured a resounding victory with an overwhelming 117 YES votes, while only two votes were against him, and one person abstained from voting.
Notably, Okraku faced no opposition in the GFA elections because his competitor, George Afriyie, had been disqualified by both the Elections Committee and the Appeals Committee following a thorough review process.
Kurt Okraku, who previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of Dreams FC, first assumed the presidency on October 25, 2019.
Despite the looming threat of an injunction notice, the GFA executives decided to proceed with the electoral process.
The GFA had originally set its Congress date for September 27, 2023, in Tamale. However, King Faisal filed for an injunction, resulting in the postponement of the assembly to early October.
King Faisal’s argument centred on the notion that a valid Congress cannot proceed to elect the President until new Executive Council (Exco) representatives are properly elected.
The club contended that initiating nominations for the GFA President’s election prior to conducting Exco elections is both inappropriate and unlawful.
Furthermore, King Faisal, based in Kumasi, sought a declaration that any resolutions made by the current Exco regarding the GFA President’s election before the selection of Exco representatives would constitute a breach of trust, confidence, and loyalty.
There are indications from sources within Citi Sports that George Afriyie was discreetly advised to halt his legal actions and instead seek a restraining order against the elections.
However, it remains uncertain whether the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has officially received the injunction or if George Afriyie’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has yielded any results.
According to reports circulating in various media outlets, Amaju Pinnick, the former president of the Nigeria Football Federation, engaged in discussions with George Afriyie and other parties involved, aiming to resolve the dispute.
Pinnick reportedly offered the aggrieved party a position on the Black Stars World Cup qualifiers committee as a potential solution. Nevertheless, this proposal was promptly declined.