Question marks over quorum for AFN Congress in Bayelsa
Criticisms have continued to trail the disputed Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, extraordinary congress held last week in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state.
While there are question marks over whether the Congress was convened pursuant to article 10.1.5 of the 2023 AFN Constitutions as amended, there is a big question over whether there was quorum formed pursuant to article 10.4.1 of the 2023 Constitution (as amended).
The article states that ‘all the documents related to the Congress (reports, programmes proposal etc.) shall be sent to the Secretariat of each State member association at least thirty (30) days prior to the Congress’
Article 10.4.1 which deals with the question of quorum states that ‘the quorum exists if two-third (2/3) of the AFN members State Associations are duly accredited and physically and virtually present at the Congress.’
This means 25 state associations must be present to form a quorum while there are reports that not up to 20 were present in Yenagoa.
This was never done and thus renders the congress illegal and decisions taken including the appointment of a seven-man electoral committee null and void and of no effect.
This became necessary following revelations that some of the delegates who attended the Congress were neither the chairman or secretary of the state athletics associations who are recognized as Congress members pursuant to article 10.1 of the 2023 Constitution of the AFN.
Our correspondent gathered that the vice chairman of Ogun state athletics association, Babajide who is not recognized by the relevant articles of the AFN Constitution represented the gateway state.
Similarly, a certain Ephraim Ochoma, a director in the Enugu state ministry of sports and who is about to retire from service, represented the Enugu athletics association.
Neither the chairman nor the secretary of Oyo state athletics association was in Bayelsa, and yet, the pacesetter state was claimed to have a delegate at the Congress.
More than half of the 19 northern states boycotted the congress.
