Stakeholders in the Nigerian gymnastics community have condemned the recent media publication credited to the President of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria (GFN), Kelvin Erhunmwunse, casting aspersion on the National Sports Commission.
The stakeholders described his alleged comments against the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, as a deliberate act of blackmail aimed at diverting attention from his own illegitimate election and leadership failures.
According to credible sources within the sport, the GFN President’s recent outburst was a reactionary attempt to discredit the Sports Commission after its refusal to endorse his controversial third-term election, which has been widely condemned by stakeholders as a sham, riddled with malpractice, exclusion, and gender bias.
The flawed election, conducted under questionable circumstances, disenfranchised key constituencies including the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS), the Nigeria Association for Physical and Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD), and the Paramilitary constituency, thereby violating the democratic structure of the Federation.
Stakeholders lamented that the GFN President – whose administration has been marked by poor inclusivity, gender discrimination, and stagnation in athletes development, now wants to allegedly use media blackmail to malign the NSC DG simply because the Commission refused to validate his unlawful process.
One of the Key stakeholders in the Nigeria Gymnastics family and foremost Sports administrator Omowunmi Olalere said, “It is both ironic and hypocritical for a man who conducted a kangaroo election that silenced women and constitutional representatives to accuse the Sports Commission of interference,”.
She said “This is a calculated blackmail meant to pressure the DG into legitimizing an election that has already lost credibility.”
The stakeholders further commended Bukola Olopade, describing him as a reform-driven administrator committed to transparency, equity, and global best practices in sports governance.
