Abuja, May 9, 2025 – Gombe Athletics Association Chairman Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has uncovered a grand plan by combined forces in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and National Sports Commission (NSC) to either suspend or disqualify him and others from contesting 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 would go to Court irrespective of the outcome of the election.
Again, on the election guideline or Form, Gombe queried, “how could anyone with good knowledge of Nigeria Constitution include such an aberration as a guideline in election in Nigeria is a recipe for trouble.
“Look, I’m not desperate, I won’t sign such rubbish guildliine. Court will settle it.”
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 quota.
“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 sanitize the system.”
“Okowa told a stakeholder on phone that, Gara Gombe is evil, He is a lion.
“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 are Okowa’s words, he is on tape” Gombe stressed.
“But am not fighting a personal battle, but interest. I want the entire system to be sanitized.”
Gombe stressed that, “Athletics Stakeholders have found ourselves in a situation where we have produced the worst and most clueless Athletics Federation’s President ever 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 shows a planned agenda to take undue advantage of others.
“It is unfair, it must not happen, there’s no equity and justice.
“I will 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 (AFN) 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 organization should have a process of how such constitution originated before it becomes binding.
“The constitution of AFN has never been endorsed to 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 electorial Committees and personnels 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 organize 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 organize 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 to 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.
They have said it and they would do it.Okowa also said, that was why they chased me away from Football. That I was causing problem in football that’s why they chased me away from Football, I’m still in football no one chased me away, I own a football club too.
Okowa was an interloper, where was Okowa in Nigerian sports when I started till now ?Off course, he was nowhere, but because of political exigency, he just came into sports from nowhere.
He said himself and Olopade will disqualify me. I know they will do it.However, I have.activatwd all avenues, structures and all, to fight injustice in sports through my NGO. Sports must be sanitized in Nigeria.
