Maria Worphil rejoins AFN Board as 14th member amid Constitutional dispute

Maria Worphil, a former Secretary General of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has officially returned to the federation’s board.

Her comeback follows the National Sports Commission’s (NSC) decision to recognize the Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN), which she now represents.

Worphil, a former national handball star and World Athletics veteran pin awardee, was controversially disqualified from contesting in the June AFN elections by the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS).

Though no official explanation was made public, sources suggest her exclusion stemmed from interference by the powers-that-be for its preferred candidate.

Despite her disqualification, Worphil’s credentials remain widely respected. She currently serves as Chair of the Gender Leadership Task Force for the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) and was a member of the previous AFN board.

Her reinstatement brings the number of board members to 14, one more than the AFN constitution permits.

Article Six of the AFN constitution clearly outlines a 13-member board structure, with representation from zonal bodies, technical officials, athletes, and recognized associations such as NAWIS and NAPHER.SD.

AFFAN, however, is not listed among the constitutionally recognized entities.

While Worphil’s inclusion is seen by many as a positive step for female athlete representation and the need to tap from her role at the continental level, critics argue that the NSC’s move bypasses due process.

Stakeholders insist that the proper route would have been to convene an extraordinary congress to amend the constitution before adding a new board seat.

This development casts a troubling light on the NSC itself, a body meant to uphold and enforce the rules governing Nigerian sport.

Instead of calling the AFN to order, the NSC now appears to be the violator-in-chief of the very constitution it should protect.

Meanwhile, the AFN has been reduced to a lame duck, a federation that can neither bark nor bite, unable to assert its own authority or defend its foundational principles.

If Nigerian athletics is to thrive, the NSC must lead by example. Rule of law and institutional integrity must be the bedrock of sports governance. Anything less risks eroding public trust and undermining the progress made by athletes, administrators, and stakeholders alike.