Stakeholders in the Nigerian karate community, led by high-ranking veterans and industry leaders, have formally called upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in a burgeoning crisis within the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The group alleges a coordinated attempt by administrative elements to subvert the democratic election of Mrs. Fausat Dehinde Yekinni (Iyalaje) as President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN).
Despite a clear victory where Mrs. Yekinni polled 8 out of 13 votes in an election supervised by the NSC and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), reports have emerged of “manipulative antics” designed to impose an unelected male candidate, Chief (Engr.) Dr. Chukwudi Dimkpa, who was reportedly absent during the electoral process.
Speaking from Port Harcourt, sources at the commission described the move as a systemic “anathema” that threatens the integrity of Nigerian sports.
”We stood beside the philosophy in karate that says I shall defend the path of truth (Dojo Kun no 2], we know that honor is the soul of our sport. We know that when you bypass a system’s safety logic, you invite a catastrophe,” sources told our correspondent.
“We have a situation where a woman won a fair, democratic contest 8-to-5, yet certain ‘criminals in the system’ appear to be taking bribes to overturn that mandate. This is a total breakdown of professional and ethical standards.”
The stakeholders are specifically urging the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, to refrain from any actions that contradict the “Renewed Hope” agenda of the current administration.
They argue that allowing such a brazen subversion of a democratic mandate would tarnish Nigeria’s standing in the international sporting community, including the World Karate Federation (WKF).
The group’s appeal to President Tinubu—a known champion of democratic processes—is clear: Do not allow the NSC to become a tool for gender-biased imposition and administrative corruption.
