Sports Federation Elections: Plan to disqualify candidates over no court action form under way – Gara-Gombe

Gombe Athletics Association chairman, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, has alleged that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and National Sports Commission (NSC) have concluded plans to suspend him.
He said it is either they suspend him or disqualify him and other contestants from the sports federation elections should they fail to sign ‘no court action’ undertaking.

AFN, through the electoral form, demanded that all candidates would sign an understanding that none of them should go to court irrespective of the outcome of the election.

Again, on the election guideline or form, Gombe queried, asking how anyone with good knowledge of Nigeria Constitution could include such an aberration as a guideline in election in Nigeria saying such is a recipe for trouble.

“Look, I’m not desperate, I won’t sign such rubbish guildliine. Court will settle it,” he said.

The Sports Federations election begins with Zonal at Sports Commission headquarters in each state of the Federation on May 14-16th, 2025.
Hon. Gara Gombe disclosed this in a press statement made available to journalists on Friday in Abuja.

“I was reliably informed that in view of the support my Zone (North East) and those outside my Zone are giving me asking me to contest as member of AFN Board to further contribute my own quotar.

“AFN President Tonobok Okowa made it clear through a conversation that if even I qualify and contest, that he would ensure that himself and NSC DG Olopade disqualify me. I have no problem, I may not contest, but we are going to sanitise the system.

“Okowa tells a stakeholder on phone that Gara Gombe is evil, He is a lion, that why should they (North) bring a lion to the gathering of Antelopes”‘ that he would prefer AFN Vice President Tafida Gadzama to Gombe into the board that he (Gadzama) is less troublesome.

“These were Okowa’s words, he is on tape,” Gombe stressed.
He said further; “But I am not fighting a personal battle, but interest. I want the entire system to be sanitised.”

Gombe stressed further, “Athletics stakeholders have found ourselves in a situation where we have produced the worst and most clueless Athletics Federation’s president never imagined in Tonobok Okowa.

“Now he wants to perpetuate himself in office by disregarding the Constitution of Nigeria, the AFN Constitution. The National Sports Commission has a duty to order the AFN election to hold in Abuja.

“I have nothing against the election holding in Asaba or any state, but.having a serving AFN President (Okowa) take a national election to his own state (Delta) clearly showed a planned agenda to take undue advantage of others. It is unfair, it must not happen, there’s no equity and justice.

“I would like to use this moment of transition from AFN to the National Sports Commission to call on the Federal Government, particularly the NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Bukola Olopade, that at this critical moment, the proposed election into the Athletics Federation of Nigeria is going to be a defining moment at this early stage of their tenure.

“Whether it is the constitution adopted in Anambra or the controversial constitution adopted in Abuja, nevertheless, the adoption of a constitution is not the same as endorsement of such constitution from my understanding.

“The constitution of any organisation should have a process of how such constitution originated before it becomes binding.

“The constitution of AFN has never been endorsed with the best of my knowledge. I’m the chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association and a member of the congress and had not endorsed any constitution, we only ammended it.
“There was amendment, but no endorsement.I could not remember at what point the congress appointed electoral committees and persons, and took foundamental decisions of locations, days and times of elections.

“Nigerians have forgotten that those that supposed to be behind bars are seeking for re-elections and aspiring to organise one while AFN finances are unaccounted for and huge amount missing. No accountability.

“It is shameful and embarrassing for AFN to participate in an Olympics without winning a single medal coupled with failure to organise a competition locally, failure to relate and sustain Nigeria’s credibility with the World Athletics and the head of that badly run federation is seeking a re-election, so sad.

“The NSC should know that all federations supposed to generate their own electoral code of conduct in accordance with their various constitutions.

“Saying that no one should go to court after the election is an abberation. What of people’s right to seek justice? Individuals have right to seek justice anywhere they can find one.

“There’s no constitution that’s greater than Nigerian Constitution. Nigerian Constitution is Supreme. Okowa is dropping the name of Olopade, threatening me with suspension, no problem, that’s if they see me there.

“Okowa also said that was why they chased me away from football, that I was causing problems. l’m still in football; no one chased me away, I own a football club too.”