Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau has refused to bow down, saying he is still the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria despite the report of his removal by a session of his board members in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking with theajasanews, Gusau noted that the persons that met to remove him did not have the right to call for a meeting to pronounce such sensitive decision against his administration.
“The people who met in Abuja did not have power to call for a board meeting. And I have called for a meeting long time ago. There is a board meeting this night in Awka, (Tuesday) while tomorrow, (Wednesday) there will be a congress where all the thirty six states and Abuja will attend.
“So why are they rushing, why are they running away from the board meeting? And in fairness, do they have the power to call for a meeting? So, as far as we are concerned that meeting is illegal. I heard some people gathered themselves and held a meeting, as far as we are concerned, it is illegal, because they do not even have the power to call that meeting.
‘I heard one of the issues they are raising is that they did not get a six days notice for the meeting. This meeting was called as far back four or five months ago. Constitutionally, we have the mid-term congress. Mid-term congress should have fallen in August, but because of the Doha World Athletes Games, we now said rather than hold it that time lets wait till the end of the year so that we do a congress so that we have enough information to give congress members. This was a decisions taken in the board. And because some people don’t come to the meeting they think they should know when they don’t come to meeting.
“We have our records and we know the government interference that all mother Federations are trying to take away and of course you can see it clearly.
Read Also:AFN board members reject Ogba’s resignation, ready to probe $150,000 IAAF grant
“And don’t forget, my insistence on the payment of the $130,000 was an issue because i insisted that the money had to be paid. And you remember I reported the issue to the authority for investigation, where I said I should be investigated, and in the course of my been investigated the truth will come out. So you know definitely i have stepped on toes and people won’t be happy with me,” he said.