Less than 24 hours after former Students Union President of the University of Port Harcourt, Itiako Ikpokpo, indicated interest in becoming the next president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), former Technical Director of the federation and current board member, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (Rtd), yesterday, declared that he is the best candidate to succeed Tonobok Okowa.

Perhaps, one current board member of the AFN, who is sure of retaining his seat in the coming election, is U.S.-based former Nigerian 400m hurdler, Victor Okorie, as he was said to have been endorsed for a second tenure by Commissioners and Directors of Sports in the South-East region.

The 2025 Sports Federations’ elections are expected to hold on May 30, with zonal elections fixed for May 13-14 nationwide.

The zonal elections are expected to be concluded two days before the commencement of the 22nd National Sports Festival holding in Ogun State.

While some athletics lovers were still debating the chances of Itiakpo, who managed the recently concluded Niger Delta Sports Festival becoming the next AFN president, Nesiama showed up in the campaign yesterday afternoon.

Nesiama was appointed last week by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) as Referee for the third Africa U18-U20 Combined Championships holding in Oran, Algeria from July 14 to 18.

He told The Guardian, yesterday, that he is in the AFN presidential race.

“I am contesting for the AFN presidency,” he said. “I am experienced and have the pedigree to lead the AFN to a better administration and performance.”

Under his tenure as Technical Director, Nigeria discovered many young athletes, including Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume and Devine Oduduru, through AFN grassroots programmes.

A source close to the National Sports Commission (NSC) hinted yesterday that northern candidates warming up to contest for the AFN may be persuaded to shelve their plans since the north already has candidates controlling some key sporting bodies, including the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

Meanwhile, The Guardian learnt yesterday that U.S.-based Okorie has been endorsed by the Commissioners of Sports and Directors of Sports in the South-east region to return to the AFN board based on his performance in sponsoring and promoting sporting activities in the last four years.

Apart from the yearly South-East Sports Festival, Okorie, a silver medallist at the COJA 2003 All-African Games, is the brain behind the maiden Tobias Igwe Memorial Classics slated for June this year.

Last month, Okorie handed over a Sports Hostel, which he built to promote athletics and other sporting activities for young athletes in Ebonyi State.

The Guardian, learnt that a meeting to formally present Okorie as South-East representative in the coming AFN board will hold before the end of this month.