BY JUDE OPARA, ABUJA

The meeting of the  Stakeholders Forum towards the 2017 Federations Elections has fixed elections into the boards of the National Sports Federations (NSF) for June 9 in Abuja.

Addressing the forum yesterday in Abuja, Minister for Youth and Sports Development Barr. Solomon Dalung said he decided to involve the stakeholders in the formulation of the guidelines to eliminate or reduce the level of agitation that usually emanates after the elections.

Dalung further said the action he took is in line with the reforms in the sports sector which the federal government began with the declaration of a state of emergency after the poor outing of the country at the 2012 London Olympics.

He added that under the new guidelines, there will be no government nominee because any member of any board must be seen to be a stakeholder and must pass through the process of an election.

“We decided to engage the stakeholders in formulating the guidelines for this election so as to reduce if not eliminate the incidents of complaint after the exercise We want to ensure that it is only those who are real stakeholders in the various federations that will stand the chance of getting into the federations.

“”I also heard that apart from some cabals in the ministry who will always brag of frustrating every minister that wanted reforms, but if I remain a minister, even if I do not achieve anything, I want to be remembered as the man who used to wear his red berate, even if I knew nothing in sports, I want to be remembered as the man who  insisted that the norms of democracy was respected in the conduct of the elections.”

Under the arrangement, the zonal elections will take place on May  9 and the state chairmen will constitute the electorate.

Also, the presidential and vice presidential elections will no longer be voted for by the board members but by the state chairmen and zonal representatives.

The minister will inaugurate the new board of the federations on July 9 in Abuja.