Presidential Aide Abba Isa Elected President of Para Volley Federation of Nigeria
By Lanre Oloyede
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has been elected President of the Para Volley Federation of Nigeria.
Abba Isa emerged unopposed at the federation’s elective congress held on Wednesday at the Media Centre of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, securing all nine votes cast by accredited delegates.
The election, conducted by officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC), also produced Hon. Chief Jim Okolo as Vice President of the federation.
Declaring the results, the Electoral Committee Chairman, Dr. Igbinosa Emmanuel, assisted by Mr. Patrick Abobi, announced that Abba Isa had fulfilled all constitutional requirements and was duly elected as President of the Para Volley Federation of Nigeria for a four-year term.
In his acceptance speech, Abba Isa expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to the inclusion and empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
He also thanked the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Bukola Olopade, the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria (PCN), the Nigeria Para Volleyball Federation, board members, and delegates for the confidence reposed in him.
He pledged to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to reposition para volleyball in Nigeria, leveraging his experience as the President’s aide on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities to improve the standard of the sport and enhance the welfare of para athletes across the country.
“I am deeply honoured by this confidence. Together with all stakeholders, we will build on the existing foundation, expand opportunities for our athletes, and take para volleyball in Nigeria to greater heights,” he said.
Abba Isa also paid tribute to the outgoing leadership of the federation, commending their contributions to the development of the sport.
“I appreciate the outgoing President for his dedication and invaluable contributions to the growth of para volleyball. We will continue the good work already started and work closely with the board members and the secretariat to achieve even greater success,” he added.
Following the election, Abba Isa and the newly elected Vice President, Hon. Chief Jim Okolo, as well as other winners were inaugurated and presented with certificates of return by the Chairman and Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Shehu Dikko and Dr. Bukola Olopade respectively.
The Commission also inaugurated other newly elected boards of Nigeria’s Para Sports Federations and charged them to align their programmes with the Commission’s Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria Sports Economy (RHINSE) agenda.
The elections, widely described as free, fair and credible, produced new leadership across several para sports federations, including Amputee Football, Para Athletics, Para Powerlifting, Para Soccer, Para Swimming, Para Volleyball and Para Badminton.
Former Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports, Opukiri Michael Jones-Ere, was elected President of the Nigeria Amputee Football Federation, with Joshua Dauda Bungon as Vice President.
In the Para Athletics Federation, Etti Rafiu Olawale emerged President, while Mohammed Musa Nafiu was elected Vice President.
Sports philanthropist Kingsley James Awodi was unanimously elected President of the Para Powerlifting Federation, with Chief Akutekwe Patrick (MON) becoming Vice President.
The Nigeria Para Soccer Federation elected Alhaji Kaka Mallam as President and Sherifat Bola Araoye as Vice President, while Adeyemi Adeshina Adeola and Dr. Ahmed Alao emerged President and Vice President of the Para Swimming Federation, respectively.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko described sports federations as the bedrock of Nigeria’s sports development and urged the newly elected officials to provide visionary leadership capable of transforming the sector.
“What we have successfully done today is to provide you with the platform to contribute your quota towards building a sustainable sports economy, particularly within the Nigerian Para Sports community,” he said.
Dikko noted that President Tinubu remained committed to transforming Nigerian sports, stressing that Para Sports occupy a strategic place in the administration’s broader sporting agenda.
“Mr President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is very intentional about his revolution for Nigerian sports, and Para Sports are a vital part of that aspiration,” he stated.
Also speaking, NSC Director-General Dr. Bukola Olopade congratulated the newly elected executives, expressing confidence in their ability to consolidate ongoing reforms in the nation’s sports sector.
“The outcome of these elections has demonstrated that Nigerian sports is becoming increasingly attractive to individuals who can add value to the ongoing reform agenda,” Olopade said.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to the development of Para Sports, describing the sector as central to the Commission’s strategic objectives.
“Para Sports remain a key priority for the National Sports Commission. We have every confidence that the newly elected boards possess the capacity and experience to complement the Commission’s efforts in taking disability sports in Nigeria to even greater heights,” he added.
