CONFUSION REIGNS OVER NOC ELECTIONS

By NBF News

The Nigeria Olympic Committee on Tuesday postponed the NOC elections scheduled to hold in Lagos on Thursday.

The NOC Secretary-General, Olabanji Oladapo, based the postponement on the advice of the International Olympic Committee.

He said, 'The NOC elections scheduled for September 16 will be postponed until the Court of Arbitration for Sports has rendered its decision in the matter.'

However, the candidates contesting the elections have insisted that the exercise must go on despite the advice from the CAS and the IOC.

The National Sports Commission also advised the NOC to conduct the polls and bring peace to Nigerian sports.

The NSC Director-General, Dr. Patrick Ekeji, said on Tuesday that any further delay would not be tolerated.

'The candidates are ready and the letter from CAS did not order any postponement,' Ekeji said.

CAS had responded to a suit filed by NOC Treasurer, Yinka Badare, on the eligibility of former NSC Chairman, Sani Ndanusa, and Aliyu Bappa for elective posts in the NOC.

Badare alleged that Ndanusa was indicted by a report submitted by the Rev. Moses Iloh panel, which was set up to investigate the political crises rocking the NOC.

The candidates, however, have not shown any sign of taking CAS' advice. They believe the report is a tactic to set some of them off their guard.

Tony Ubani, who is eyeing the post of the Public Relations Officer of the NOC, told our correspondent on Tuesday that he expected the elections to hold on Thursday.

'I've not been officially informed that the elections will not hold,' he said.

Bappa told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday that he received a letter from CAS but the document did not state that the elections should be put on hold.

He said, 'What the letter contains is the power CAS has in intervening in the elections. It did not indicate anywhere that the elections should be postponed and I have not received any letter on any suit as reported.'