Daniel Igali has been elected as the South South representative on the board of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF). The elections took place on Saturday, 27th September 2025, in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, which also serves as the zonal headquarters for the South South region.
Igali, a former world and Olympic champion, retains his leadership role as the incumbent president of the NWF while winning the seat representing the oil-rich South South region. Joining him on the new NWF board is Chris Ankpila, who has been elected as the North Central Zonal representative and previously held the position of first vice president.
Other notable elections saw Purity Akuh, the head coach of Nigeria’s women’s national wrestling team, appointed as the South West zonal representative, while Habib Abubakar Umar was elected from the North West. Coach Clement Ejim secured the South East Zonal seat, and Mustapha Bura emerged as the North East Zonal representative.
In a statement following the elections, Igali expressed his satisfaction with the peaceful and fair conduct of the events in Benin City, describing the atmosphere as heartwarming. He congratulated the newly elected zonal representatives and urged them to work diligently towards the goals of the NWF, emphasising the importance of fostering a progressive and respected federation within the Nigerian sports landscape.
Igali remarked, “For Nigerian sports to compete effectively with the top nations, it is essential to assemble competent individuals on the various federations’ boards. I extend my solidarity to all those who have shown interest in advancing this sport. In this case, there are no true winners, as the peaceful nature of these elections reflects the kind of federation we aspire to create.”
He further encouraged collaboration among the zonal representatives to develop grassroots wrestling programmes, stating, “Grassroots is the bedrock of our sports’ growth.”
Additionally, it is noteworthy that Blessing Oborodudu, the Tokyo 2021 Olympic silver medalist, has been elected as the athletes’ representative, while Burutu Happiness has been appointed as the technical representative on the NWF board, marking a new chapter for Nigerian wrestling.
