Fatimah Yusuf battles Nneka Anibeze for NAWIS’ slot on AFN Board
The battle for the National Association of Women in Sports, NAWIS’, lone seat on the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, will be between former Nigeria international and Olympian, Fatimah Yusuf-Olukoju and veteran broadcaster, Nneka Anibeze following the disqualification of Maria Worphil.
The election, billed to hold on Monday in Abuja will also have on the ballot former long jumper, Chinedu Odozor-Onikeku.
Yusuf, the former African 400m record holder and Olympic 4x400m silver medalist, is said to be in a 50-50 race with Anibeze who was once a media aide to Solomon Dalung, the former Sports Minister.
Worphil was seen as the woman to beat until her disqualification for, among other reasons, not being UpToDate in the payment of her annual due to the Association.
A one-time World Athletics’ veteran pin award winner, Worphil’s absence has opened the opportunity for either another former track and field international to succeed 1995 African Games triple jump champion, Rosa Collins or an accomplished broadcast journalist who is now serving as an aide to the Minister of Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.
Yusuf, a 1990 Commonwealth Games and World U20 400m champion made history in 1996 as the first Nigerian nay African woman to successfully complete a 200m/400m double in African Championships history.
She was a member of the Nigerian 4x400m relay team that set an African record on their way to winning a silver medal in the event at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA in 1996.
She is married to a former Nigerian international thrower, Adewale Olukoju.
