Weight-lifting electoral committee, president kick against rescheduled election

The Chairman of weightlifting federation election committee, Hon. Sani Femi and newly elected president of the federation, Hon. Yahaya Mohammed have kicked against the decision of the Appeals Committee that fresh election into the weightlifting federation should be conducted.

After the recently held elections, the Appeals Committee presided over by Alhaji AbdulRazak Salau nullified elections into four sports federations namely athletics, taekwondo, gymnastics and weightlifting for new elections to be conducted on July 12.

However, in a swift reaction, the president-elect Mohammed expressed shock at the decision of the committee to nullify his election, saying he was ‘elected through free and fair electoral process’.

Mohammed reiterated that his election followed the laid down guidelines and was conducted transparently under the watchful eyes of a competent director in the sports ministry and an observer from the Nigerian Olympic Committee, NOC.

“After the election, my opponent openly congratulated me and promised to work together with me for the promotion of weightlifting in Nigeria.

“However, to my surprise, the copy of the petition against my election was not made available to me and nobody has formally intimated me of the nullification of my election.

“I believe strongly that the committee was misled by some unpatriotic elements. I therefore urge the committee to reverse its unjust decision in the interest of the sport.

“If this is not done, I am ready to fight this injustice to a logical conclusion,” he said.

On his part, the chairman of weightlifting election committee also expressed surprise at the decision of the Appeals Committee to nullify the said election without consulting the body that conducted it.

He said the reasons given by the committee for its decision which border on multiple registrations and voting by proxy were figments of the imagination of the petitioner, Mr. Tony Okowa.

Femi therefore said “The electoral committee believes strongly that the Appeals Committee was misled by deliberate misinformation, that’s why all members of the election committee were blocked from appearing before it”.

“We urge the Appeals Committee to use their wisdom now that they have credible information and materials before them to discountenance with the re-scheduled election and upheld the earlier election conducted by the competent weightlifting federation election committee.”