In a major step toward revitalizing Nigerian athletics, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has fortified its Executive Board following successful zonal elections held on Wednesday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The high-stakes elections, supervised by Honourable Bukola Olopade, Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), delivered a resounding mandate for new leadership in two key zones.
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Mr. Festus Okorie emerged unopposed in the South East, securing a clean 4–0 sweep, while Abubakar Ladan Zurmi won the North West ticket with a decisive 5–1 victory over Honourable Sunday Adeleye of Kaduna State.
Speaking after the event, DG Olopade praised the elections for setting a new standard of transparency and credibility in sports governance.
“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 affirmed.
Reinforcing the critical link between federation performance and national sporting success, he stressed the AFN’s central role in actualizing the Renewed Hope Sports Mandate championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This is one federation we cannot afford to toy with,” he declared.
In a unifying message to stakeholders, Olopade appealed for peace and cooperation within the athletics community. “We know everybody cannot be on the board at the same time, but we all belong to the same sports family… We therefore appeal to every stakeholder to seek peace and reconciliation at all times, especially concerning election matters,” he urged.
With the AFN’s board now complete, attention turns to the federation’s roadmap for development, as the nation looks forward to a new era of excellence in athletics.
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