AFN Vice President Aku Aghazu Withdraws Resignation as Legitimacy Questions Resurface
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has confirmed that its Second Vice President, Aku Aghazu, has withdrawn the resignation she tendered last Friday.
In a letter addressed to AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, Aghazu wrote: ‘Sir, after much reflection, I would like to withdraw the resignation letter I sent on Friday, if it pleases you. I want to apologize for all the trouble my letter has caused The Board and AFN. Thank you, Sir, for considering this withdrawal request.’
Okowa, in a formal communication to the Board, said he had accepted her apology and withdrawal in the interest of the Federation’s stability.
He stated: ‘I wish to formally inform you that following further reflection, our Vice President, Aku Aghazu, has withdrawn her earlier resignation and has conveyed her sincere apology to the Board and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria for any concern her decision may have caused.
‘After due consideration, I have accepted her apology and her request to withdraw the resignation in the overall interest of unity, stability, and the continued progress of the Federation.’
He further urged members to remain focused on their collective mandate, adding: ‘Let us remain focused on our shared mandate to reposition and strengthen the AFN for greater success.’
However, Aghazu’s return has reignited legitimacy questions surrounding her position on the AFN Board.
She was imposed on the Federation by the National Sports Commission (NSC) without adherence to constitutional provisions.
The AFN Constitution stipulates that representatives from her ‘assumed’ constituency must either be philanthropists, sponsors, or ex-officio members of the Federation, conditions she did not fulfill.
Sources gathered by SportsNowNow suggest that her reinstatement may also have been influenced by the NSC, which critics argue has turned the AFN into an association of irregular members, contrary to the Federation’s constitutional framework.
