The technical director of Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Sunday Adeleye has reached out for peace with all warring factions in the nation’s track and field body, following a favourable court ruling for himself and embattled president, Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau.
Megasportsarena.com reports that the court verdict during the past week removed Honorable Olamide George as AFN president and reinstated Gusau, while also affirming Adeleye’s status in the executive committee, but he insists it is not time to celebrate victory but to reinstate unity.
Adeleye made his submission after the Federal High Court Abuja on Wednesday, July 1 declared that Gusau remains the president of AFN and sacked the interim board led by George, while the ruling by Justice A. I. Chikere also stated that only the athletics body’s president has powers to call a congress and appoint a technical director.
The court, therefore, nullified the purported suspension and subsequent impeachment of Gusau as well as all other actions and resolutions taken by George’s led AFN and his post as the track and field body’s acting president was declared a nullity and thereby set aside, while Adeleye was reinstated as the technical director.
Adeleye, though, opted to remain humble in victory, as he stated that the court’s verdict is not aimed at pushing anyone out but in bringing unity back to the AFN, as he told brila.net: “I want to state categorically that there is no winner or vanquished in this case.
“The judgment is just here to set record straight and then for us to come together and work for a greater family which is the Athletics family.
“So, I’m hereby extending the olive branch to my friends on the other side to come let’s join hands together let’s build athletics, and take it to a greater height in Nigeria Africa and in the world.”
