The National Sports Commission (NSC) has officially inaugurated the Electoral Committee tasked with overseeing the upcoming elections for 20 National Sports Federations. These include prominent disciplines such as Aquatics, Chess, Handball, Golf, Karate, Darts, Fives, Tennis, Wrestling, Wushu Kung Fu, Scrabble, Hockey, Badminton, Boxing, Taekwondo, Squash Rackets, Traditional Sports, Rugby, Kickboxing, and Deaf Sports.
Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, expressed his confidence in the newly-formed committee’s ability to deliver a free, fair, and transparent electoral process. During the inauguration, Dikko emphasized that the commission’s primary aim is to set a new standard for how elections in sports federations are conducted, ensuring the highest level of integrity.
“We have put together a very balanced and compact team for this assignment because we want to set a new standard of conducting Federation Elections with topmost integrity and transparency,” Dikko stated. “The goal is clear: to ensure we elect individuals aligned with the vision of building a sustainable sports economy as outlined by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Dikko clarified that the NSC, under his leadership and that of Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade, has no partisan interests. Instead, their sole focus is to guide the election process and ensure the selection of leaders who understand the commission’s long-term objectives for Nigerian sports.
“Myself and the DG have no interest other than to ensure we have people elected who are aligned to our vision,” he said. “We will not interfere in the process but will only give guidance because we have a vision, and we want only people that understand the vision.”
In his remarks, Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade echoed Dikko’s sentiments, highlighting that the commission had been meticulous in selecting a robust team to oversee the elections. He reaffirmed the commission’s intention to conduct a crisis-free and credible process.
“We are very intentional about everything we are doing at the commission, and assembling this team is no different,” Olopade said. “We wanted a very astute team that can stand every challenge that comes with elections of this magnitude, and this is exactly what we have put together with this committee that is chaired by Dr. Simon Ebhonjaiye, a very experienced sports administrator and technocrat, alongside other members.”
Dr. Simon Ebhonjaiye, the newly appointed Chairman of the Electoral Committee, assured the NSC that his team would bring their wealth of experience and expertise to bear on the task ahead. He reiterated the committee’s commitment to adhering strictly to the NSC’s guidelines and delivering a successful election process.
“I have no doubt that the decision of the NSC to put the individuals in this committee together will yield the expected results of conducting a hitch-free election,” Ebhonjaiye said. “We will follow the commission’s guidelines strictly, and we will work very hard to deliver a good job that both the Commission and Nigerians will be proud of.”
Other members of the Electoral Committee include Vice Chairman Barrister Samson Ebomhe, Lawal Waheed, Hon. Tunde Popoola, Barrister Maryam Orotope Paul, Farouk Yelima, and Secretary Rita Mosindi.
According to Dr. (Mrs) Kehinde Ajayi FCAI, ANIPR, Director of Press at the National Sports Commission, the inauguration was held on September 8, 2025.
