By Seun Oyediji 

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has further consolidated its leadership structure following the successful conduct of the South East and North West zonal elections held Wednesday at the Media Centre of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Mr. Festus Okorie emerged unopposed in the South East zone, clinching the position with a unanimous 4–0 vote. In the North West, Abubakar Ladan Zurmi secured a commanding 5–1 victory over Honourable Sunday Adeleye of Kaduna State to earn his seat on the AFN Executive Board.

The elections, conducted under the supervision of the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, were praised for their orderliness, transparency, and fairness.

In his remarks, Olopade emphasized the significance of credible elections in ensuring the effective functioning of sports federations across the country.

“Athletics is one of our major sports, and it is crucial that we get it right with the electoral process. This serves as the foundation for what we intend to achieve in the next four years,” he said.

He further underscored the role of sports federations in actualizing the Renewed Hope Sports Mandate of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, adding, “The success of the Commission is directly linked to how well our federations perform. The AFN is a key federation that we cannot afford to toy with.”

Calling for unity within the athletics community, Olopade appealed to all stakeholders to maintain peace and prioritize collaboration.

“We may not all be on the board at once, but we all belong to the same sports family. Let’s seek reconciliation and avoid escalation—especially in election matters,” he urged.

With the conclusion of the zonal and representative elections, the presidental polls come up on Friday with delegates in Abuja.