...Chief Tonobok Okowa set to get second term ticket as president
By Maxwell Kumoye
Delegates and newly elected board members of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), have started arriving in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, ahead of the much anticipated presidential election of the Association.
The AFN presidential election which has suffered multiple setbacks and a shift in date and venue is scheduled to be held on Thursday in Abuja.
Initially scheduled for Asaba, Delta State on the 31st of May, the polls was shifted to the 12th June by the last Extra Ordinary Congress of the AFN in Abeokuta after the National Sports Commission (NSC), advised that the elections be moved from Asaba to a neutral venue Abuja since at that time three of the four known presidential aspirants were from Delta State.
Following the advise, which was more of a directive from the National Sports Commission, one of the aspirants a former Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, Retired Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, has strategically pulled out of the race while another aspirant Constantine Itiako Ikpokpo fondly called Malik was comprehensively beaten at the South-South Zonal by Gabriel Okon in an election conducted by Mr. Braveman Wodi in Benin City, Edo State.
Another person eyeing the prestigious and highly esteemed office of the president of AFN, Mr. Sunday Adeleye, is struggling to get a slot into the new AFN board from the North West Zone.
His name will not likely be on the ballot on Thursday as the powerful Electoral Appeal Committee is yet to deliver judgement on his case after he lost from the North West Zonal election to Ladan Abubakar Zurmi from Zamfara State.
Another Zonal election in the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria that is far from being settled is the South East representative with two candidates fighting for the sole ticket from the land of the rising sun.
It's a massive battle before the Election Appeal Committee between the AFN Performance Director and a former athlete, Victor Okorie, who is seeking re-election into the board and another former athlete, Innocent Ugochukwu Iheme.
Similarly, the election for the technical officials and coaches representative on the AFN Board, a contest between Solomon Aliyu and Professor Lucas Ogunjimi, is yet to be concluded.
The first round of voting resulted in a 26-26 tie, and the second round also failed to produce a winner, finishing 11-11 in another deadlock.
With no clear winner, the contest now shifts to Abuja, where a final decision will be made on Wednesday, June 11.
The heated and controversial election of the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS), that may be challenged due to eligibility of the winner produced a former quarter-miler Fatima Yusuf as their representative on the new look AFN board and she may via for the position of second Vice President of the Federation.
Elections of athletes representative and representative of National Association Of Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance - (NAPHER-SD), are yet to be decided.
Meanwhile, Chief Tonobok Okowa, who is seeking re-election had earlier said, the work, reforms and programs that he and the current AFN board have put in place and are building on, will go a long way in helping him secure a second term.
“What we are doing in the Federation right now is critical to the success we all yearn for in athletics and Nigerian sports in general. We have laid a solid foundation through our ‘GET OUR ATHLETES IN SCHOOL’ program,” Okowa said.
The ‘GET OUR ATHLETES IN SCHOOL’ program has helped a good number of athletes to secure scholarships and admission into American Colleges and Universities, and they have been combining their academics with sports seamlessly.
“Our relationship with the athletes is great and cordial and we have also established excellent working relationships and partnerships with quite a number of State Governments to accelerate the growth of Athletics across the country,” Okowa, a former Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission stated.
The AFN President further emphasized that during the last four years, Nigerian Athletics is steadily regaining its faded glory and the country is on the right path.
“At the World Youth Championship in Kenya, Team Nigeria came third, at the Senior Athletics Championship in Mauritius and Cameroon, Team Nigeria athletes left their mark on the track.
“In Lusaka the Zambian capital at the African Youth Championship we had an excellent outing. What about our stellar performance at the African Games in Ghana, as well as our superb showing at the World Relay Championship in Bahamas, and at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games we showed strength, character and class.
“Despite, the difficulties associated with funding major competitions, the AFN has been able to honour all its championship obligations including the Confederation of African Athletics Zone II Senior Championship in Accra, Ghana which we won in style. And even at the Paris Olympic Games where we failed to finish on the podium, a lot of first and feats were achieved by our athletes,” Okowa a very successful entrepreneur added.
“Like in every human endeavor, there is always the need for improvement and we are ready to climb the ladder of growth and development to get athletics in Nigeria to where it truly belongs.”
It's noteworthy to mention that the Technical Director of the Federation, Samuel Onikeku, who has helped to drive AFN’s policies and programs won his election into the board again. For the next four years he is expected to build on the success story so far, as well as accelerate other new initiatives of the Athletes body.
As Technical Director, Onikeku, is responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of AFN’s operations, including athletes development, coaching, and competitions.
It's interesting and imperative to state that this new AFN board is dominated by former athletes a development which athletics stakeholders consider as a good omen but could turn out to be a two edged sword if they fail to work as a team.
Olalekan Stephen Soetan, Gabriel Okon, Olufemi Sule, Fatima Yusuf have secured their seats on the new AFN board.
THE NEW AFN BOARD MEMBERS:
★ SOUTHWEST ZONE
Soetan Olalekan Stephen ✅
★ SOUTHSOUTH ZONE
Okon Gabriel ✅
★ NORTHEAST ZONE
Adamu Babayo ✅
★ NORTHCENTRAL ZONE
Sule Olufemi Oladimeji ✅
★ REPRESENTATIVE OF MILITARY/PARA-MILITARY SPORTS
Samuel Onikeku ✅
★ REPRESENTATIVE OF INTERNATIONAL SPORTS BODY
Chief Tonobok Okowa ✅
★ ATHLETES' REPRESENTATIVE
To be elected on a later date
★ REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN SPORTS - NAWIS
Fatima Yusuf ✅
★ TECHNICAL OFFICIALS REPRESENTATIVE
Retired Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama ✅
★ PHILANTHROPIST OR AN EX-OFFICIO MEMBER OR SPONSOR
★ SECRETARY GENERAL
Israel Inyang ✅
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