The Guidelines Committee for the forthcoming national sports federations’ elections has told those aspiring to get into the various boards, including presidential candidates, that they will stick to the provisions of the rule, which allows every board to serve for a maximum of two tenures of four years each.

Rumour have been rife that presidents of some federations were working to circumvent their constitutions and hold on to power after completing two terms. Part of the allegation is that staying in power will give them the leverage to contest successfully for membership of international bodies.

But a member of the Guidelines Committee, set up by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to draw up rules for the next elections, told The Guardian at the weekend that the committee, supported by the NSC, is adhering to the existing rules for the forthcoming elections.

The member of the committee, who pleaded anonymity, said that “some people have been canvassing to be given the opportunity to continue in office to realise their ambition of getting into the boards of their various international bodies. But the NSC has made it clear that anybody can win elections into any international federation if that person utilised his/her eight years properly.

“You don’t need a third term to win election into an international federation and we cannot change the rules midway, just a few weeks to the elections.

“The NSC will allow federations to tinker with their constitutions after the elections so that nobody will use the power of incumbency to perpetuate himself in office.”

He said that the guidelines committee will submit its reports to the NSC this week, adding that it will then be left with the NSC to choose when to make it public.

“We have ironed out all the areas of friction with the NSC and sorted out what the commission wants to include in the guidelines,” he added.

The NSC has not released the timetable for the federations elections, but the source said that parties to the polls would get to know when to start getting ready for the exercise immediately after the National Sports Festival billed for Ogun State next month.