The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has once again exposed its rotten underbelly — one where power is valued over purpose, and those who dare to speak the truth are punished for their honesty.
Its latest act of pettiness was the removal of Olalekan Soetan, the federation’s Southwest representative, from its official WhatsApp group.
His “crime”? Having the audacity to question why administrators flew business class to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo while the athletes — the very reason the federation exists — were dumped in economy.
Soetan, a respected coach and statistician, spoke an inconvenient truth: Nigeria’s athletes cannot rise while its leaders are obsessed with self-comfort and empty prestige.
In a blistering critique, Soetan asked the question that every fan, athlete, and patriot should be asking: Who deserves business class more — the medal winner or the medal taker?
It is a damning indictment of the AFN’s priorities that the people who train for years, sacrifice everything, and carry the nation’s hopes are treated like afterthoughts, while board members — some of them illegally occupying their seats — stretch out in luxury, sipping champagne at 35,000 feet.
As Soetan rightly put it, “This is not just mismanagement. It is betrayal.”
He reminded the federation that business class is not a luxury for athletes — it is part of performance.
Recovery begins the moment an athlete boards a plane. Cramped legs and stiff backs cost medals.
But for the AFN, optics and outcomes matter less than the comfort of its officials.
The contrast with football is instructive. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ensures that every Super Eagles player — even the last man on the bench — flies business class because they understand that performance starts before the match.
Athletics, meanwhile, paraded world champion Tobi Amusan with a business-class ticket as if it were a royal favor rather than a basic duty.
And once the cameras were off, even she most likely returned to her base in economy.
If a world record holder is treated that way, what hope is there for the rest?
Rather than reflect and reform, the AFN doubled down on its arrogance by ordering Soetan’s removal from its WhatsApp group — a petty, vindictive move that violates not only the spirit but also the letter of its own constitution.
It is not the first time the federation has silenced dissent.
Veteran journalist Dare Esan and a member of the former previous AFN board and former Gombe Athletics chairman Ahmed Shuaib Gara Gombe have both been victims of similar unlawful removals for daring to question the leadership.
This behavior is not just embarrassing — it is dangerous.
It signals to athletes, coaches, and fans that truth is unwelcome and that accountability will be punished.
And it shows why, despite abundant talent, Nigeria’s athletics continues to stumble because those entrusted with nurturing the sport are too busy nurturing their egos.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has committed record funding to sports, signaling a desire for change.
But that change will remain a mirage if federations like the AFN continue to operate like personal fiefdoms rather than public institutions.
It is time for the National Sports Commission to step in and enforce the rules — not just for Soetan’s sake, but for the sake of Nigerian athletics itself.
The silence of former internationals on the AFN board — including Olympic bronze medalist Fatimah Yusuf, technical director Gabriel Okon, and others — speak volume.
Will they side with a system that betrays its athletes, or will they stand for the sport they once proudly represented?
History will not be kind to a federation that treats champions as cargo and truth-tellers as enemies. Nigerian athletics deserves better.
Its athletes deserve better. And until the AFN learns that medals are not won in business class but by those denied a seat there, Nigeria’s podium finishes will remain rare — mere accidents of talent, not the products of a working system.
