Sports Federations election: Olalere, Gymnastics elders, stakeholders reject close door settlement

Francis Ajuonuma

Chairperson, South West Zone, Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria (GFN), Kafilat Omowunmi Olalere, stakeholders and elders of the sport have rejected the closed door settlement initiated by the National Sports Commission, insisting on a free, fair and credible elections.

Olalere, who made this known, insisted that she will be contesting for the position of president in the Federations elections scheduled to hold this Saturday at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja, despite pressure from certain quarters, asking her to jettison the idea.

ThisNigeria gathered that Mrs Olalere has been advised by the Sports Commission to accept the position of 2nd Vice President on appointment, following intensed lobby by the current president, Kelvin Erhuwunse who is seeking reelection.

Speaking with the media yesterday in Lagos Mrs Olalere, revealed that her decision to contest for the position of President of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria was the decision of the South West Zone and the other zones who have rally behind her as the best candidate for the position.

According to her it will be disservice to go against the decision of her zone which she represent in the current board of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria and the other zones that have insisted that she contest for the top position as she has all it takes to revival the sport which has suffered huge decline in the current president.

‘I’m contesting for the position of President Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria because I’m the better candidate. And I’ve the full backing of the South West and the others zones.

“The decision to contest is not mine but the decision of the South West zone and other zones. So, asking me to step down for another candidate will be disenfranchising the voters from the zones, who have declared support for my leadership.

“So for the sake of fair play the election for the position of president and others should be let open and let the voters decide who lead them,” she said.
Commenting on what she has to offer if voted the president, Mrs Olalere disclosed that she has put in place laudable programmes she hopes to implement in office to lift Nigerian gymnastics from death to an enviable position.

“Many of the zones, they don’t have equipment. The children are practicing under very dilapidated environments. So, these are the things that we can put resources together. Reach out to private organisations in Nigeria and at the international level to get support. To make sure that we have the right equipment. To create grassroots awareness.

“There was a day I went to one of the Southwest states. And as I was coming in, I was walking into the stadium, I saw the children right from their school. They were practicing with, you know, the equipment that are not very okay. That broke me. We can do better. So, it’s a lot of work. And it can be achieved. With the right strategy, with the right leadership, with the right vision. It is something we can do.

“Get started with having the right equipment. Get started with training all our coaches and judges to be prepared, to be updated. With the recent happenings of the gymnastics association, both national and international.

“And they will be able to pick up and make the sport an agreeable sport in Nigeria. So, give it the required publicity that we need. And have more inclusivity, have more people perform gymnastics up to the international level.

Reacting to if the National Sports Commission insists that she steps down from contesting for the position of president and accept the second vice president position she abide by the decision of the stakeholders.

“I will do much better as the president, other than being the vice-president. But if the NSCs emphatically say it has to be the vice-president’s position, according to the stakeholders, if it’s not going to cause any protest, then we all come together and support this. Because the development is what concerns me more than any…

Meanwhile, a former technical Director of the federation Ben Alonge has accused the the current president, Erhuwunse of running the federation as his personal business and had continuously sideline members in decision making and implementation of programmes.

He pointed out that under the leadership of Erhuwunse, Nigeria’s Gymnastics has suffered decline.