The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has released a tentative timetable for its June 14 Elective Congress, which is sent to World Athletics for approval.
The Extraordinary Congress will appoint and inaugurate a three-man Electoral Commission in accordance with article 7.2.1 of the 2017 AFN Constitution, which World Athletics has affirmed will be used to conduct the elections.
The appointment and inauguration of the Electoral Commission will kickstart the programme for the Elective Congress on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Abuja.
The AFN Secretary-General, Prince Adeniyi Adisa Beyioku says State Athletics Associations who constitute the 37-member congress have been notified and that the AFN has sought the approval of the timetable from World Athletics.
“This becomes necessary following the refusal of Mr Ibrahim Shehu Gusau’s to transmit a letter to the Secretary-General to convene and prepare the programme for the extraordinary congress in accordance with articles 4, 6.1.4, 8.3.6 and 8.3.9 of the AFN constitution,’ says Beyioku.
The federation has reported Mr Gusau’s violations of several articles of the AFN constitution and the terms of the agreement reached at the reconciliation meeting held in April by members of the executive board of the AFN with two top officials of the Confederation of African Athletics, CAA.
“Both the CAA and WA have affirmed that they only recognize the 2017 constitution which was adopted at the congress of the federation on November 16, 2017, with Mr Gusau presiding as the president of the federation,’ Beyioku further said.
Continuing, Beyioku revealed Mr Gusau has also been reported to WA for disregarding the world governing body’s letter to him that the 2017 AFN constitution is the official document that is recognised and which must be used to conduct the June 14 Elective Congress.
“We have forwarded the purported guidelines released by his Electoral Commission to WA and the communique issued after the disputed congress reportedly held on May 12, 2021, where the agreements reached April’s reconciliation meeting were rejected including the 2017 constitution which both the CAA and WA insist must be used for the conduct of elections,” Beyioku said.
The WA had in a letter from its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jon Ridgeon and signed by Carolyn Launios, his executive assistant, categorically denied the purported amendments of the 2017 constitution reportedly carried out at a disputed congress in Awka in December 2019 and warned Mr Gusau it would exercise the powers conferred on it in the 2019 WA constitution if its instructions are ignored.
“To confirm, World Athletics position is that the 2017 AFN constitution applies. To be clear, World Athletics has never recognized and does not recognize the claimed 2019 constitution and so any election must be held in accordance with the 2017 constitution,” the letter read.
