The Performance Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), U.S.-based Victor Okorie, yesterday, regained his position on the AFN board following the re-run of the South-East zonal election in Abuja.

  Also yesterday, Ladan Abubakar Zurhi won the North-West Zonal contest, beating Sunday Adeleye in their re-run.

   The two re-run elections were held yesterday following the success of Okorie and Adeleye’s appeals after the first polls, which were cancelled.

  Okorie from Abia State, won the South-East election by 4-1 votes, while Zurhi from Zamfara State, won the North-West zonal polls 5 – 1.

  Okorie and Zurhi will join the other elected board members in today’s elective congress of the AFN, which the incumbent president, Tonobok Okowa is seeking a return.

  But the election for coaches/NAATO between Solomon Aliu and Professor Lucas Ogunjimi originally scheduled for yesterday was canceled and will now be held today at 8 am. It will be concluded before the AFN elective congress at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

   Meanwhile, the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS) has commended the Leadership role of the National Sports Commission (NSC), following the election of ex-international, Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju as NAWIS representative on the board of the AFN.

   The NAWIS election held in Abuja, on Monday was inconclusive, and forced the NSC’s Director General, Bukola Olopade, to hold a reconciliatory meeting with the association and the principal contestants, Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju and veteran sports journalist, Nneka Anibeze.  At the end of the day, Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju beat Anibeze 30-15 to win the NAWIS seat. 

  After the polls, both parties agreed to forge a common front and work together for the overall interest of the girl-child and women empowerment in Nigerian sports.

  In another development, Dele Edokpayi, a legal practitioner has been removed as chairman of the Edo State Athletics Federation by the Edo State Sports Commission.

   Until his sack, Edokpayi, who was a member of the AFN Congress, played the legal adviser role in the AFN Electoral Committee.

  A sports enthusiast and one of the men who made the Niger Delta Sports Festival a huge success, Onome Obruthe, has been appointed as his replacement.

  The South-South region looks to be preparing for a new generation of leaders to rejig sports development at the zone and two of the men behind the Niger Delta Sports Festival are now firmly in charge of athletics development in their states.

  Last week, Delta State Sports Commission appointed Sir Itiako Ikpokpo as the new Chairman of the Delta State Athletics Association, replacing the first vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) Solomon Ogba.