Inauguration of all 31 National Sports Federations will take place on Friday, July 21, 2017 at the National Stadium Abuja at 2pm according to a release from the office of the Minister of Sport, Solomon Dalung.
The outstanding elections in Rugby and Gymnastics were held in the Abuja National Stadium according to the release signed by Nneka Anibeze, Special Assistant to the Minister of Sport.
Some of the crucial decisions were taken by the Arbitration and Harmonization Committee comprising the Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Youth and Sports which also necessitated the delay of the bye elections.
In some major decisions taken, the Arbitration and Harmonization committee upheld elections in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Weightlifting Federation.
Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau’s election as President of the federation was upheld as well as the North west zone where he emerged from while Patrick Estate Onyedum’s election as South East representative was also upheld.
His challenger Christy Opara Asonze was dismissed because she had served a 5year ban for drug use by WADA and was not eligible to contest as stipulated in the guidelines.
Solomon Ogba was returned also as Sponsor/ Ex-officio of AFN as approved by the federation while the case of Hamid Adio was dismissed.
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 Rugby, the petitioner Ntiense Williams presented a historic analysis of Rugby activities in Nigeria and called on the Ministry to use the guidelines used by other sports federations in the June 13 elections. The election into Rugby were done on Thursday.
In Weightlifting, the election of Yahaya Mohammed as President was upheld as well as that of the Vice President Emeka Daniel Nwankwo. There will be no fresh election in that federation.
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.
All other zonal bye elections were concluded at the Abuja National Stadium on Thursday.
