Gabriel Okon (Akwa Ibom) and Lekan Soetan (Ogun State)have been announced winners of the South-South and South West Zonal Elections of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) .
In the elections held yesterday, Okon secured four votes against two for Itiako Ikpokpo in the South-South poll held in Benin City, to be declared as the representative of the zone in the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
The election was conducted by delegates representing the six south-south states including Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River, under the supervision of Sir Braveman Wodi, the designated electoral official.
Present at the election in the South –South elections were key stakeholders including the Zonal Secretary National Sports Commission South -south, Peter Njoku.
Njoku expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, describing it as free and fair. He commended the electoral officials for putting all necessary measures in place to ensure a smooth and transparent process.
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He also charged the contestants to work together in unity, irrespective of the outcome, for the progress of athletics in the South -south.
The electoral official, Sir Braveman Wordi, also appreciated the contestants for their level of understanding and maturity throughout the process.
He thanked them for their continued support for athletics development in the region and encouraged them to remain committed to the growth of the Athletics.
In his post-election remarks, Okon , a former Nigerian athlete, expressed gratitude to God for winning the election and he pledged to work with the other contestants and all stakeholders to advance athletics development across the region and Nigeria as a whole.
“I am committed to promoting unity and ensuring that the South South continues to produce top-tier athletes. This victory is not mine alone—it is a collective step forward for sports in our region,” Okon stated.
Elsewhere, Soetan also defeated Babajide John Odedeji and Abijo Gbenga in fiercely contested election to get the nod of the South West for the next four years as a board member of the AFN.