TheCable

Tonobok Okowa, president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has been elected the president of Africa Athletics Region (Zone 2), West Africa.

He won the seat following an election that was held in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday.

Okowa saw off challenges from Vierin DeGon of the Benin Republic, Togo’s Tchanile Salifuo Falilatou and Oually Sara of Senegal.

In the first round, the AFN president had tied with DeGon with 7 votes apiece from 15 ballots.

However, with the withdrawal of both Sara and Falilatou ahead of the second round, Okowa cruised to victory with nine votes to his opponent’s six.

The triumph also earned him a position as one of the five vice-presidents of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).

Okowa became the president of AFN in 2021 after two separate elections produced distinct sets of board members to run the activities of the federation.

He was the victor of the election held in Abuja while Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau was declared the winner in another conducted in Kebbi.

Sunday Dare, minister of sports, then declared Okowa as the AFN president “duly elected and recognised by the federal government of Nigeria”.

The minister also added that the Abuja election was held “in accordance with the 2017 constitution of your federation as recommended by both World Athletics and the Confederation of African Athletics”.