The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development says it will hold the national para sports federation elections on July 15, following the dissolution of the boards on March 8.

Mohammed Manga, Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Manga disclosed that the minister, Sunday Dare, dissolved the federation after the expiration of their four-year tenure on February 27.

He said the federations that were dissolved are amputee football, para-athletics, para powerlifting, para soccer, sitting volleyball, para swimming, and wheelchair basketball.

“This is in its commitment to conducting a free, fair and credible election into the boards to steer the affairs of the federations.

“The ministry made concerted efforts to design a timeline of activities for the conduct of the elections which includes the constitution of the electoral and appeal committees among others,” Mr Manga said.

He said it was imperative to state that each board of the federations shall be made up of six zonal representatives.

Mr Manga mentioned them as one athlete representative of the sport, one representative of the National Association of Women in Sports, one representative of National Association of Physical, Health, Education, Recreation Sports and Dance.

Others, he said, are one philanthropist and sponsor, one representative of coach and officiating official while a secretary general shall be appointed by the ministry.

Mr Manga added that the zonal elections, based on the timeline of activities lined up for the exercise, are expected to hold in the six geo-political zones on July 5.

According to him, the newly constituted boards will be inaugurated on a date to be announced later. “The ministry is hereby soliciting the cooperation of all stakeholders for the success of the exercise,” he said.

(NAN)