Gusau’s Election as AFN President Upheld

• Inauguration of new boards hold today in Abuja

Duro Ikhazuagbe

The Arbitration and Harmonisation Committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) on the petitions that trailed elections into the 31 national federation board thursday upheld the election of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau as the duly elected president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

The inauguration of the Gusau led AFN board along with the other 30 federations
will take place today at the National Stadium in Abuja at 2pm.

The Committee made no reference to the basketball federation election that took place in Kano on June 12.
Winner of the NBBF election which held on June 13 in Abuja, Musa Kida and his board members, are to be sworn into office today along with others duly elected and cleared by the committee.

Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Sports, Nneka Ikem-Anibeze, confirmed yesterday that the delay in releasing the decision of the Arbitration and Harmonization Committee was due to the volume of work the committee was saddled with after the acrimonious elections in Abuja.

In some major decisions taken yesterday the Committee set up by the Federal Ministry upheld elections in the AFN and the weightlifting federation.

It ruled that Gusau was duly elected representative of the North-west zone on the AFN board and so his election as president of the federation was in order.

Patrick Estate Onyedum’s election as South-east representative on the AFN board was also upheld.

The petition of his challenger, Christy Opara Asonze, was dismissed because she had served a five-year ban for dope use by WADA and was not eligible to contest as stipulated in the guidelines.

Chief Solomon Ogba was returned also as Sponsor/ Ex-officio of AFN as approved by the federation while the case of Hameed Adio was dismissed for lack of merit.

Rosa Collins and Brown Ebewele were earlier reinstated as representatives of NAWIS and Technical representatives.
The case of Haruna Bako and that of Charles Yayock of the North-west Zone were both dismissed for lack of merit.
In Traditional Sports, the election of Mallam Usman Musa as the duly elected President was upheld and not Mohammed Garba Lere.

The Committee was furnished with fresh pictorial evidence and interviews with those at the election venue proving that Musa Usman won the election and he was so declared winner.

The federation is however mandated to appoint an international representative as the committee affirmed the reversal of Mohammed Abdullahi who is the current President of Archery.

In Weightlifting, the election of Hon Yahaya Mohammed as President was upheld as well as that of the Vice President Emeka Daniel Nwankwo.

The Presidential election in Judo was upheld. The committee ruled that bye election in the South-west should take place.

Petition by Alhaji Mohammed Sule of the Cycling Federation was dismissed as he failed to pay Appeals processing fees within 48 hours of making his appeal.

There will also be no fresh elections in Taekwondo as Ex-officio and philanthropist representative George Ashiru was reinstated as a board member.

In Table Tennis, Kayode Ayodele was also reinstated as Athletes’ representative.

However, the Harmonization Committee ordered fresh elections to be held in Gymnastics as the Electoral Committee members petitioned that the conduct of the previous elections were held under duress. New electoral committee members will be appointed for the election.