Kurt Okraku
Amidst the controversy surrounding the holding of the GFA congress in Tamale, the Northern regional capital, Kurt Okraku won a landslide victory as re-elected President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for a second term.
The election, which took place at the Global Dream Hotel in Tamale, on Thursday, October 5, 2023, saw Okraku securing an overwhelming 117 YES votes as his sole opponent, George Afriyie, was disqualified by both the Elections Committee and Appeals Committee following a review process.
The former CEO of Dreams FC initially assumed office on October 25, 2019, and was running unopposed in the GFA election for his second term.
However, the electoral process was postponed after King Faisal applied for an injunction, arguing that a valid Congress could not take place to elect the President until new Executive Council (Exco) representatives are duly elected.
Despite the looming threat of the injunction notice, the GFA executives decided to proceed with the electoral process.
The victory of Kurt Okraku was certain from the outset, and he won the election with only two NO votes and one person abstaining.
The George Afriyie saga marred the election process, with sources suggesting that the former Vice President of the GFA was encouraged to discontinue his legal proceedings and file for a restraining order on the elections.
However, it remains unconfirmed whether the GFA has received the injunction or if George Afriyie’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has been unsuccessful.
Furthermore, while attempts were made to resolve the dispute by offering the aggrieved party a position on the Black Stars World Cup qualifiers committee, this offer was rejected outright.
Despite the challenges, the GFA has moved forward with the re-election of Kurt Okraku, ensuring continuity and stability for Ghanaian football.
By Vincent Kubi