*NSC DG, Olopade, promises to resolve GFN leadership crisis

Michael Olugbodein Abuja

The Director General, National Sport Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has promised to address and resolve the leadership crisis currently engulfing the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria (GFN).

This is as one of the candidates for presidency of the federation, Alhaja Kafilat Omowunmi Olalere, insisted on a transparent and all inclusive election to choose the executives of the body. 

The outgoing President of the Federation, Kelvin Erhunmwunse,  had earlier conducted an election which was nullified by the NSC for failing to meet the guidelines for the National Federations polls.

NSC thereafter fixed a date for another election on two different occasions but unfortunately, it has since failed to organise another one leaving many delegates who converged on Abuja at the weekend to be part of elections into almost all the sporting federations bewildered and dissatisfied.

Speaking at the weekend in Abuja during the election of executives of other federations under the National Sport Commission, Olapade said he will be sitting down with the two gladiators in GFN  to resolve the crisis. 

However, Olalere who is contesting the GFN President’s position with Kelvin Erhunmwunse, said the only way to resolve the issue is to allow them to go to the polls.

She maintained that only properly conducted  election that allows all stakeholders’ to participate will be acceptable to her.

 “We are just not happy that our federation election did not hold. That is the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria. We received the correspondence that there will be an election on the 25th from the sports commission.

“Every delegate that were elected into the GFN board were expected to vote today. Everybody is here from across the nation only to be told that there will be no election. 

Responding to Olopade’s promise to resolve the crisis at a round table between the two candidates, Olalere said: “No, it has to be an election. We’ve had enough roundtables. We’ve had enough back and forth. The only thing that will resolve this issue once and for all is an election,” observed Olalere who is the South-West Zone representative on the GFN board.

Other stakeholders of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria also argued that the only way out of this logjam is election.

Dr. Ajibola Samson of Nigeria Association for Physical, Health, Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance, (NAPHER-SD) said there must be inclusivity in the process and no group under the Gymnastics Federation should be left out. 

Other stakeholders -Richard Jatau, North East Representative, John Abiodun Oyewuwo, South West Representative and Dr. Oladipo Samuel Stakeholder from Ekiti expressed their disappointment that the election for the GFN did not hold as planned on Saturday.