Stakeholders in Nigeria’s gymnastics, yesterday, rejected the call by the National Sports Commission (NSC) for some contestants in the federation’s forthcoming elections to step down for some others, insisting that all the candidates should test their popularity at the polls.

The federation’s elections will hold on Saturday in Abuja with incumbent president of the body, Kelvin Erhunmwunse, seeking re-election for another term in office.

Erhunmwunse is being challenged by Alhaja Omowunmi Kafilat Olalere for the top job.

Recently, the NSC dismissed an earlier election held by the incumbent board as null and void because it did not meet the conditions set for such elections. The NSC, however, asked Olalere to step down for Erhunmwunse and instead take the second vice president post.

At a media parley in Lagos yesterday, Olalere rejected the NSC’s call, saying that the gymnastics federation needs a new direction to achieve the goals set by the stakeholders.

Olalere, who is currently representing the South-West on the board, said the stakeholders are worried that their sport has retrogressed steeply, hence their call for a new awakening.

“When the NSC told me to step down for the incumbent chairman, I went back to my constituency and the various interest groups to brief them of the development and they were emphatic that the federation needs a new direction.

“It is not about me because I could have easily accepted the position, but what happens to those seeking to become zonal representatives through the elections?

“The elections they purportedly held disenfranchised many people, but thankfully, we have a listening leadership in the sports commission that issued a press statement cancelling it and then stating that the real elections would hold on October 18. But due to some other reasons, it was moved to October 25.”

She said that the stakeholders from the South-West, South-South, South-East and North-Central have been looking at ways to reform the sport, which involves children and their patents.

Olalere regretted that many gymnastics’ resource persons have been forced to move into other things for survival because the sport no longer meets their expectations.

“Many of them have taken appointments in private institutions, private schools to sustain themselves. So, we need to bring these people back.

“We need to grow more coaches. Many of our coaches are getting old; they’re getting to retirement age, while many have retired. So, we need new people, we need other stakeholders, well-trained and aligned judges in tune with current practices, both in Nigeria and internationally,” she said.

Also speaking on the elections, former technical director of the federation, Ben Alonge, said that gymnastics has not grown as envisaged because the process of choosing its leaders has always been faulty.

“Our president was chosen to lead us by the Solomon Dalung regime without proper election. We protested, but nobody listened to us. Dalung’s successor, Sunday Dare, also did not conduct a proper election and so the president retained his position. Now, we want a change.”

He urged the NSC to ensure a level playing field for stakeholder interested in vying for any position, saying that gymnastics needs its best hands to develop as an international sport.

The polls on Saturday will begin with the election of zonal representatives and other bodies, who will vote for the president and other members of the board.