Delegates and newly elected board members of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) have begun arriving in Abuja ahead of Thursday’s much-anticipated presidential election.
The presidential contest, which has faced repeated postponements and venue changes, was initially slated for Asaba on 31 May but was rescheduled to 12 June by an AFN Extraordinary Congress in Abeokuta. This change followed advice from the National Sports Commission (NSC) that the election be moved to a neutral location, given that three of the four presidential aspirants hail from Delta State.
Following the NSC’s directive, retired Commodore Omatseye Nesiama withdrew from the race. Another contender, Constantine Ikpokpo, popularly known as Malik, was defeated in the South-South Zonal election by Gabriel Okon in a poll supervised by Braveman Wodi in Benin City.
Meanwhile, Sunday Adeleye, who is also eyeing the presidency, is yet to secure a place on the new AFN board after losing the North West zonal seat to Ladan Zurmi of Zamfara State. Adeleye’s fate now rests with the Electoral Appeal Committee, which has yet to rule on his petition.
In the South East, another unresolved race is unfolding between the AFN Performance Director and former athlete Victor Okorie, who is seeking re-election, and fellow former athlete Innocent Iheme. The appeal process is ongoing.
Also inconclusive is the election for technical officials and coaches’ representative on the AFN board. A deadlock in both rounds of voting — first 26-26, then 11-11 — means the matter will now be resolved in Abuja.
In a separate development, former quarter-miler Fatima Yusuf emerged as the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS) representative on the new board, and she may contest for the position of second Vice President. However, her eligibility could be contested.
Elections for the athletes’ representative and the National Association of Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD) are also still pending.
Incumbent AFN President Tonobok Okowa appears poised to win re-election. He has expressed confidence that his administration’s reforms and programmes will earn him a second term.
Technical Director Samuel Onikeku, who retained his board seat, is expected to continue leading the federation’s technical agenda, including athlete development, coaching, and competitions.
The new AFN board features a significant presence of former athletes, including Olalekan Stephen Soetan, Gabriel Okon, Olufemi Sule, and Fatima Yusuf — a development widely welcomed by athletics stakeholders.
(NAN)