Re-elected President Tonobok Okowa emerges as the sole contender in AFN election
Following the withdrawal and disqualification of all other candidates prior to the Abuja election, Tonobok Okowa was re-elected as President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria in what ended up being a landslide victory.
In addition to earning him a second term, Okowa’s rise to prominence as the only contender with 42 votes and eventual winner highlighted the enduring differences that have come to characterise the federation’s leadership conflicts.
Bitter power struggles, factional conflicts, and what insiders characterise as a culture of individual ambition trumping group interests have consumed the AFN in recent months.
Many commentators bemoaned the fact that the election build-up turned into another arena for influence and ego, rather than a competition of athletic ideals and vision.
Notwithstanding the controversy, interested parties have stated their hope that the election’s outcome will signal a sea change for Nigerian sports.
Olu Sule, a former triple jumper, urged the new board to embrace professionalism and teamwork, saying that deliberate governance must replace the trial-and-error approach.
“It’s not going to be trial by error, the new board of the AFN must put the right foot forward.
“Anybody can be president all that matters is cooperation and playing by the rules,” Sule said.
Okowa emphasised the need for all parties to set aside their disagreements and collaborate towards the development of Nigerian athletics in his post-election speech, which called for peace and healing.
In order to stabilise the sport, he promised to implement reforms and restore the federation’s credibility.
In an effort to regain power and start carrying out his reform agenda, the re-elected president soon afterward started putting together a new executive team and assigning reliable loyalists to important roles.
The National Sports Commission also took notice of the re-election; Bukola Olopade, the commission’s director-general, emphasised the value of open government and characterised athletics as a pillar of Nigeria’s sporting identity.
“Athletics is one of our major sports, and it is therefore very important to get it right with the election processes because that will be the foundation of everything that will be achieved in the next four years,” Olopade said.
He pointed out that the effectiveness of the Renewed Hope Sports Mandate, which the president gave to the Commission, will be directly impacted by the federation’s performance.
