The Publisher of Herosports Newspaper and the Chairman, Creative Director of Badallion Communications, Sheriff Owolabi Bada has congratulated the newly elected Board members of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) on their election held on 6th of December, 2022 in Taraba state.
Bada who’s also a Nigeria Olympic family described the election as free and fair while he charged the newly elected board to ensure they remain committed, work passionately and exclusively for the growth and development of sports in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the incumbent President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Habu Gumel, who was re-elected for another term in office, defeated close challenger and former minister of sports, Sani Ndanusa, by 21 to 19 votes at the elective congress of the NOC held in Jalingo, Taraba state on Thursday.
With 21 out of the 40 votes, Gumel secured an absolute majority of 50 percent plus one as the keenly contested election into the president’s seat climaxed the congress of the body just as eight other positions were also contested.
Gumel’s victory at the poll secured a third consecutive term and a fifth term overall for the Jigawa-born International Olympic Committee (IOC member), whose last eight years in office have attracted heavy criticism. He was first elected as NOC president in 2002 and was in office until 2010. He returned in 2014 and was in office till 2022 before winning another term at the election.
Solomon Ogba of the Bobsled & Skeleton Federation secured 24 votes to emerge as the first vice president against Francis Orbih of badminton who secured 16 votes while Ishaku Tikon of the Table Tennis Federation ran unopposed for the second vice presidential position and secured 38 votes.
Representative of the athletes in the body and former D’Tigers captain, Olumide Oyedeji secured 24 votes to emerge as third vice president against Daniel Igali of the wrestling federation who had 15 votes while Maria Wophill of the athletics federation had one vote. Olabisi Joseph of the School Sports Federation will serve as the fourth vice president after polling 23 votes to beat Rahinatu Garba and Hauwa Akinyemi.
For other positions, Tunde Popoola of the Hockey Federation won the General Secretary’s seat with 24 votes; Abdullahi Mohammed emerged as deputy general secretary unopposed while the president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation, Musa Kida, will serve as treasurer, and Tony Nezianya as public relations officer.
After the rounds of voting, the chairman of the electoral committee, Ibrahim Galadima confirmed the return of the elected officers who will run the affairs of the NOC for the next four years.
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