What appears a danger signal is looming ahead of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) board elections, which the body is set to commence on June 2, 2025.
Though, the National Sports Commission (NSC), headed by Mallam Shehu Dikko as Chairman and Hon. Bukola Olopade as Director General has already rolled out guideline for all sports federations to hold their board election in September this year, the AFN hurriedly fixed June 2 to 15 for its polls after holding a congress last Tuesday in Abeokuta in the middle of the just concluded 22nd National Sports Festival ‘Gateway Games’.
Earlier this month, the AFN, whose four years tenure expires this June, had fixed May 14 to 16 as date for its zonal election and May 30 as elective congress in Asaba. But the NSC stopped it on the ground that the date would clash with the 22nd National Sports Festival, which ended on Thursday in Ogun State. The NSC made it clear then that the date fixed by AFN would not give contestants a level playing field.
According to the NSC electoral guideline released on Tuesday, June 15 is set for Electoral Committees by National Sports Federations, Zonal Representatives Elections ( Zonal HQs) August 9, and National Elections at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja between September 1 and 15, 2025.
However, the AFN hurriedly summoned its Congress in Abeokuta on Tuesday, and fixed June 2 for it’s zonal election, and June 15 for the presidential election in Abuja.
The Guardian, learnt, on Friday, that apart the big question mark hanging around the ‘few days’ period between AFN’s Congress and conduct of its election on June 2, what appears a litigation is already looming between the body and its Athletes Representative, Dr. Henry Okorie.
While the National Sports Festival was going on in Abeokuta, the athletes decided to conduct an election to pick the next Athletes Rep, where Dr. Okorie emerged victorious, beating 400m runner, Patience Okon-George.
But Okorie’s victory was later annulled by the AFN. However, a letter No. NAAC/05/1/04, tagged Re: Election Timetable For Nigerian Athletics Athletes’ Commission (NAAC), dated May 29, 2025, addressed to AFN Secretary General, and made available to The Guardian, Dr. Okorie advised the AFN to “revisit this plan and seek redress to spare the country and Athletics the unnecessary instability.”
“It is with great disappointment we received your letter. We want to use this medium to seek clarifications on which working body of the AFN, declared the election of NAAC null and void; was it the Congress, the board or the Electoral Committee of the AFN?
“The last official letter dated May 8, 2025, to NAAC was made by the Secretary of AFN 2025 Electoral Committee, to conduct our election and no other letter requested we stop.
“In that letter, NAAC was not informed the election must be conducted in the presence of AFN, NOC and NSC officials. This is because it’s alien to our sports and historically unfounded. Even the NOC Athletes’ Commission election which I participated in and won never had any of this retinue of supervisors. Meanwhile we conducted an election aired live online with all participants from all the states and FCT, which didn’t generate not even a single protest. More so, our election timeline and venue was officially communicated to you on April 22, 2025 and your last approval received by a letter dated May 8, 2025.
“Sir, writing the NAAC as the Secretary General of AFN without citing any articles of the AFN Constitution or Guidelines the NAAC has violated and not as the Electoral Committee Secretary is deemed unconstitutional and an abuse of office. The NAAC has started the process of compiling all the evidences of intimidation, harassment, high-handedness, and abuse of office by the top leadership of AFN. The Safeguarding violations against NAAC will be articulated to the CAA, World Athletics and other relevant authorities NAAC deem necessary.
“Sir, thinking of constituting a Board of AFN on June 12, 2025, without the primary constituency, (The Athletes Voice), will be an impossible dream. I advise the AFN revisit this plan and seek redress to spare the country and Athletics the unnecessary instability,” Dr Okorie stated in his letter, which is copied to the Chairman NAAC, and the Secretary General, Confederation of Africa Athletics (CAA) .
A source revealed to The Guardian, on Friday, that the NSC might be forced to call off the AFN election and put in place an interim body to run its affairs after the expiration of the board’s tenure this June pending when all sports federations conduct elections in September. “This is to avoid all manner of litigations,” the source stated.
