Confusion as AFN releases timeline for 2025 Elections
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, has usurped the role and functions of the illegal 7-man Electoral Committee purportedly set up at its disputed Congress held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa last month, by releasing the timeline for the elections into the Executive Board of the Federation slated to hold this month.
In a letter addressed to all state Directors of Sports, all state Chairmen/Secretaries and all Athletics Stakeholders and signed by Secretary General, Inwang Israel, the AFN, and not the Electoral Committee whose names are not known to the Congress of the Federation, has set May 5 as the day for ‘picking of forms by contestants’
The letter did not state where the forms will be picked from and categories of persons expected to pick these forms.
The AFN, and not the Electoral Committee, also sets a May 9 deadline for submission of forms picked but did not indicate who to submit the forms to in the letter.
The AFN has also picked May 10 as the date it will forward all applications to the Electoral Committee which in turn will, bizarrely, send the final list to the AFN for Confirmation.
Article 11.1, sub-section 1 (11.1.1) clearly states, unambiguously, who has the authority to authenticate the list of contestants.
‘An Electoral Committee shall be set up by Congress following a proposal by the Executive Board to oversee the electoral process and evaluate the eligibility of prospective candidates.
Article 11.2 sub-section 2 (11.1.2) goes further to state that ‘the Electoral Committee shall validate the candidature for the position of AFN President, 1st Vice President and 2nd Vice President.. .’
Meanwhile, zonal elections have been fixed to hold between May 14 and 16 in each of the six zonal headquarters of the National Sports Commission, while those of others like the NAPHER, NAWIS, Military/Para-Military, Technical and Athletes Representative will hold between May 17 and 20, 2025.
The AFN Elective Congress has been fixed to hold in Asaba, Delta state on May 31, 2025.
Athletics observers are bewildered that the Federation is taking over the job of the Electoral Committee which the AFN Constitution has given absolute power to set the timeline for the elections as well as determine the eligibility of contestants based on the provisions of the AFN Constitution.
There is still a big question mark over the naming of a seven-man electoral committee when the AFN Constitution clearly states the number shall be three.
The Constitution also states the Electoral Committee can only be formed ‘following a proposal by the Executive Board.’ This was not done as the Executive Board did not put forward any proposal to that effect.
This illegal act alone is capable of nullifying the outcome of the elections should aggrieved contestants decide to seek redress in court for any injustice done to them.
The process of convening the Congress in Bayelsa has also been called to question while the May 2023 Constitution of the Federation is also facing credibility test due to the process of convening the extraordinary Congress of May 25, 2023 and that of the procedure used in amending the Constitution.
