In a shocking turn of events, the Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria (KBFN) has been indefinitely postponed. The election which was scheduled for Saturday the 25th of October, 2025 was moved indefinitely following vehement protests centered on the conduct of its Secretary, Javan Bernard.
According to insiders, the saga began when Lagos State head coach and technical representative-elect, Ramirez Atagana, defeated his opponent, Kelvin Onyika, by 23 votes to 11 in the Federation’s election held on 16 October. Mr Atagana was duly declared winner of the technical representative seat within the Federation.
However, following the result, the Federation Secretary, Javan Bernard, allegedly worked with certain cohorts inside the Federation to reverse the outcome—purporting that Mr Onyika was the rightful winner on the grounds that Mr Atagana was under suspension. Mr Atagana has publicly contested this claim, stating he was never served any suspension letter, no internal panel was set up, and that the actions by the Secretary breach the Federation’s ethics and governance procedures.
In parallel, another protest emerged from the Southwest Zonal Representative election held in Ibadan on 27 September 2025. The victorious entrant, Nelson Oluigbo, stated that although he received his certificate of return, was screened and interviewed, his name was later excluded from the list of candidates by the Secretary on the basis of a purported suspension dating back to 2024. Mr Oluigbo asserts that he served as head referee at the recent National Sports Festival, administered referee payments himself, and challenges any suggestion that he was suspended: “How and when?” he asked.
Observers say the electoral committee caved to mounting pressure and announced an indefinite postponement of the Federation’s elections, citing “serious governance concerns and protest from stakeholders”. The committee’s decision comes amid growing concerns over neutrality, transparency and fair play within the Federation’s internal processes.
The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olapade, reportedly intervened in an effort to calm the situation and restore order within the KBFN leadership structure, but the Secretary’s alleged unwillingness to engage in mediation or address the grievances has further escalated tensions.
In summary, the Federation now finds itself in limbo: two separate electoral outcomes are under dispute, the Secretary is accused of favouritism and procedural mis-management, and the electoral committee has postponed the entire process until further notice. The controversy raises serious questions about governance, fairness and accountability in Nigerian amateur sport.
Stakeholders have called for an independent audit of the Federation’s governance, clear timelines for rescheduling the elections, and a transparent mechanism to address the alleged misconduct of the Secretary and restore trust in the process.
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