Habu Gumel, the current president of the Nigerian Olympic Committee, was chosen to serve another term in office. He defeated Sani Ndanusa, a close rival and a former minister of sports, by a vote count of 21 to 19 during the NOC’s elective congress on Thursday in Jalingo, Taraba state.
Gumel won the hotly contested election for president with 21 of the 40 votes, giving him an absolute majority of 50% plus one to conclude the body’s congress along with eight other positions that were also up for election.
The Jigawa-born IOC member, whose last eight years in office have drawn harsh criticism, will now serve a third straight term and a total of five terms thanks to Gumel’s triumph.
He originally won the position of NOC president in 2002 and held it till 2010. He came back in 2014 and served until the election of 2022, when he was elected for a second term.
Francis Orbih of badminton received 16 votes, while Ishaku Tikon of the Table Tennis Federation ran unopposed for the second vice presidential position and received 38 votes. Solomon Ogba of the Bobsled & Skeleton Federation received 24 votes to win the position of first vice president.
Olumide Oyedeji, a former D’Tigers captain and the body’s athlete representative, received 24 votes, beating out Daniel Igali of the wrestling federation, who received 15 votes, and Maria Wophill of the athletics federation, who received one vote.
After garnering 23 votes to defeat Rahinatu Garba and Hauwa Akinyemi, Olabisi Joseph of the School Sports Federation will hold the position of fourth vice president.
Tunde Popoola of the Nigerian Hockey Federation won the general secretary’s seat with 24 votes; Abdullahi Mohammed won the position of deputy general secretary without opposition; Musa Kida, the president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation, will hold the position of treasurer; and Tony Nezianya will hold the position of public relations officer.
Following the voting rounds, Ibrahim Galadima, the chairman of the electoral committee, announced that the elected officials who will manage the NOC’s operations for the ensuing four years had been re-elected.
