The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, has suspended the Nigeria Boxing Federation elections in order to guarantee due process and provide appropriate participation from all parties involved in the electoral process.
Olopade responded quickly to the perceived irregularities that caused the NBF elections to be postponed.
The ban came after a poll schedule was announced that gave candidates less than 48 hours to finish their nomination forms and screening procedures, which caused a great deal of incredulity among boxing stakeholders.
The aggrieved members reached out to the NSC leadership, citing a perceived ploy to shut out prospective candidates from participating in the election with such extremely short notice
In a proactive move to ensure transparency, fairness, accountability, and inclusivity in the electoral process, Olopade called for an emergency meeting on Thursday, August 14, with key members of the electoral committee, the Secretary General of the NBF, Olalekan Faseesin, and members of the recently dissolved board.
Speaking to The PUNCH, Olopade said, “We did this so that the stakeholders can get well informed and in order for the body to run an equitable, free and fair election.”
The DG said the election must be conducted in line with the NSC’s electoral guidelines, which create the necessary window for candidates to be notified and prepare for the poll. Olopade further instructed that the NBF election be moved to a later date to ensure all stakeholders are able to participate.
