Delegates and newly elected board members of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) have begun arriving in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, ahead of the much-anticipated presidential election of the Federation.
The AFN presidential election having suffered multiple setbacks, including changes in date and venue is now scheduled to hold on Thursday in Abuja.
Initially fixed for Asaba, Delta State, on 31 May, the polls were rescheduled to 12 June by the last Extraordinary Congress of the AFN held in Abeokuta. This change followed a recommendation widely seen as a directive rom the National Sports Commission (NSC), which advised that the election be moved to a neutral venue, as three of the four known presidential aspirants at the time hailed from Delta State.
Subsequently, retired Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, a former Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, strategically withdrew from the race.
Another aspirant, Constantine Ikpokpo, popularly known as Malik, was decisively defeated at the South-South Zonal election by Gabriel Okon in a poll conducted by Braveman Wodi in Benin City, Edo State.
Sunday Adeleye, another hopeful for the coveted AFN presidency, is currently battling to secure a seat on the board from the North-West Zone. His candidacy may not appear on Thursday’s ballot as the Electoral Appeal Committee has yet to deliver its judgement on his eligibility, following his defeat to Ladan Zurmi of Zamfara State in the zonal election.
Another unresolved zonal seat is that of the South-East representative, with two contenders Victor Okorie, the AFN Performance Director and a former athlete, who is seeking re-election, and Innocent Iheme, also a former athlete locked in a fierce dispute before the Electoral Appeal Committee.
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Similarly, the election for the technical officials’ and coaches’ representative on the AFN board, a contest between Solomon Aliyu and Lucas Ogunjimi, remains inconclusive. The first round ended in a 26-26 tie, while a second round again produced a deadlock at 11-11. The matter will now be resolved in Abuja on Wednesday.
In the midst of these developments, the highly charged and controversial election of the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS) has produced former quarter-miler Fatima Yusuf as its representative on the new-look AFN board. She is also reported to be eyeing the position of second Vice President of the Federation, although her election may be subject to a challenge on eligibility grounds.
Meanwhile, elections for the athletes’ representative and the representative of the National Association of Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD) are yet to be concluded.
Incumbent AFN President Tonobok Okowa is seeking re-election and is considered a strong contender for a second term.
He remains optimistic that the reforms, programmes, and achievements of the current board will help secure his return.
Also re-elected is the Federation’s Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, who has been instrumental in driving AFN policies and initiatives.
He is expected to continue building on the Federation’s recent successes and to accelerate ongoing development projects over the next four years.
As Technical Director, Onikeku oversees all technical aspects of the Federation’s operations, including athlete development, coaching programmes, and competitions.
The new AFN board is now dominated by former athletes, including Olalekan Stephen Soetan, Gabriel Okon, Olufemi Sule, and Fatima Yusuf all of whom have secured seats.
This development is being welcomed by stakeholders, who view the presence of ex-athletes as a positive step towards strengthening the Federation’s future.
