AFN Releases Timeline
In what has been termed a desperate attempt, some candidates who are seeking election or re-election into various positions in the fast approaching 2025 Sports Federation election are said to be lobbying serving senators and highly influential traditional rulers to ‘soften ground’ for their campaign, particularly at the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The revelation came on Friday, just as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), released the timeline for the elections into its Executive Board later this month.
The Guardian learnt that rather than intensify their campaign at the state and grassroots level, some desperate candidates are allegedly travelling from one location to another seeking the assistance of some senators and influential traditional rulers.
A source close to the NSC said: “It is sad that some of the candidates seeking election and re-election into various boards in the coming sports federation elections are seeking help from some senators and influential traditional rulers instead of intensifying their campaign at the state and grassroots level. They believe that the senators and traditional rulers are in a better position to sway support for them at the NSC but I am sure they will be shocked in the end because I don’t see the present leadership of the NSC giving listening ears to any lobby.”
According to the source, one particular candidate, whose federation is already in the bad books of the Federal Government following ‘controversies and poor performance’ in the last four years, has vowed to use his connection at the higher level to fight his way through in the coming election.
“But I feel sorry for them because the leadership of the NSC is looking for candidates who will not depend on Federal Government alone to fund activities in their federation. The NSC wants individuals who can be productive, particularly in the drive for corporate sponsorship in sporting activities. The days of using ‘sweet talk’ and lobby through the backdoors to head a board only to become liability to the federal government are over,” the source stated on Friday.
Meanwhile, the AFN, in a letter to all state Directors of Sports, state Chairmen/Secretaries and all athletics stakeholders, has set May 5 as day for picking of forms by contestants.
The letter signed by AFN Secretary General, Inwang Israel, also sets a May 9 deadline for submission of the forms. The AFN has also picked May 10 as the date it will forward all applications to the Electoral Committee, which will in turn send the final list to the AFN for confirmation. Zonal elections have been fixed to hold between May 14 and 16 in each of the six zonal headquarters of the NSC, while those of NAPHER, NAWIS, Military/Para-Military, technical and athletes representative will hold between May 17 and 20, 2025.
The AFN Elective Congress has been fixed to hold in Asaba, Delta state on May 31, 2025, but a source informed The Guardian, on Friday, that the venue might change.
The incumbent AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, is seeking a re-election believing that his work in the first term will see him through. Okowa is being challenged by two candidates, including former Students Union President of the University of Port Harcourt, and two-time Chairman of Isoko South Council of Delta State, Itiako Ikpokpo.
Ikpokpo, a former Director-General of ALGON, whose company, Dunamis Icon Limited, launched the Delta State Local Governments Sports Festival where some star athletes, including Favour Ofili, were discovered for the country, was the brain behind the huge success of the recently concluded Niger Delta Sports Festival, which is a grassroots-driven initiative.
Another major hurdle for Okowa in his bid to return as AFN President is the emergence of Commodore Omatseye Nesiama rtd in the race. Nesiama, a current board member of the AFN, is also a former Technical Director of the body, whose tenure produced the likes of Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume for the country between 2013 and 2014.
