Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Athletics and Other Sports Development Initiative, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, has called for the immediate removal of the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, following an age-cheating investigation involving Nigeria’s U18 and U20 athletes by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
Gombe made the call on Tuesday in Abuja in a statement issued to journalists, saying the AIU’s recent query to the AFN did not come as a surprise.
According to him, the AFN under Okowa’s leadership has been “a disappointment and an embarrassment to Nigeria,” alleging widespread mismanagement and lack of accountability. He accused the National Sports Commission (NSC) of enabling the situation by supporting Okowa’s emergence as AFN President.
“The NSC must not treat this matter with levity,” he said. “But should they decide to handle it with kid gloves, I won’t be surprised, because it was the same NSC that manipulated the system and supported Okowa’s emergence, with nothing to show for it except monumental corruption and arbitrariness without regard for the AFN Constitution.”
Gombe, who leads an NGO promoting transparency and good governance in sports, insisted that the AIU investigation must be taken seriously. He referenced a previous controversy during the Paris Games, when a committee was set up by the defunct Ministry of Sports to probe the omission of athlete Favour Ofili from the women’s 100m list.
“Nothing came out of that committee’s work,” he said. “The report was swept under the carpet. Nobody was punished or held accountable. We pretended everything was fine.”
He warned that unless decisive action is taken, the AFN risks recurring scandals. “Before the first quarter of 2026, and even before the January 16 deadline given by the AIU, there will be another embarrassment. If the NSC cannot help the President to deal with those destroying the AFN, then the NSC will have to go down with Okowa.”
Gombe issued a two-week ultimatum to the NSC to suspend Okowa pending the outcome of the promised investigation. “If they foot-drag and allow him to remain in office, all of them will have to go,” he declared.
The AIU had earlier queried the AFN over alleged age discrepancies involving athletes in age-grade competitions, raising concerns about compliance with global integrity standards.
As of press time, the NSC and the AFN had yet to respond publicly to Gombe’s allegations and demands.