…as two presidents emerge in parallel NBBF polls
Nigerian basketball players have called on the sports minister Sunday Dare to save the sport after the Nigeria Basketball Federation polls on Monday produced two presidents.
The parallel elections were held in Abuja and Benin City, with the poll in the former producing Mark Igoche as the NBBF president, while the latter returned the incumbent Musa Ahmadu-Kida as president.
The emergence of Igoche and Ahmadu-Kida is the latest twist to the leadership crisis that has rocked the sport in the last four years, which led to a near collapse of basketball activities in the country.
North Central Representative Igoche polled 11 votes to claim victory, while Osita Nwachukwu, representing the South East zone, had 11 votes to emerge vice president at the Abuja election, which held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
Other zonal representatives elected were Mohammed Lawal Na’Allah (North West), Ibrahim Gimba (North East), Kinglsely Aigbonaga (South South) and Josiah Amedu (South West).
Also on the Igoche-led board are Stanely Gumut (Players Representative), Tope Oluwosulu (Paramilitary Representative) and Scot Nnaji (Technical/Coaches Representative).
In Benin City, Ahmadu-Kida was re-elected as the NBBF president, polling 37 votes at the elective congress.
Babatunde Ogunade stepped down as the South West Representative to pave way for ex-D’Tigers captain, Olumide Oyedeji, who got the mandate of the six states in the zone.
Ogunade garnered 30 votes while Oyedeji got seven to return as the federation’s vice president at the congress monitored by FIBA representative, Ahmed Elhariri, and the Nigeria Olympic Committee represented by its second vice president, Ishaku Tikon.
Ugo Udezue was voted in as the South East Representative on the board, while Alhaji Abba Kaka got the nod of the North East zone representative. Surajo Yusuff was elected as the North West Representative with Adamu Jalong getting the backing of the North West delegates.
Others sworn in are Victor Okoro (Military/Paramilitary), Samuel Ahmedu (International Representative) and Prof Musa Yakassai (NAPHER-SD).
Despite the absence of FIBA and NOC representatives, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Abuja poll, Suleiman Muhammed, said it met the sports ministry’s guidelines.
“This is in line with the sports ministry’s directive and I am very happy to see that the elections were conducted in a very free and fair manner,” Muhammed said.
But Rivers Hoopers’ Koko Anthony urged sports minister Dare to intervene and declare Ahmadu-Kida the right president of the federation.
He said, “The only solution to this parallel election is for the minister to back the election that took place in Benin. The person that won in Benin is the winner. There was no representative from the sports ministry, FIBA or the NOC at the election in Abuja, while these people were all in Benin.
“All I want is a better basketball future for us, so that we can enjoy the sport and those coming in the future will have a reason to partake in it.”
Another Hoopers star Simon Owoicho stated, “In the Benin election, which I followed live, I saw the FIBA rep and the NOC, but I’m confused because we’re seeing officials in Benin and in Abuja. As far as the FIBA rep was in Benin, I think that is the legitimate election.
“We want peace, we all know what happened in the last four years, it was court cases throughout. We had two abridged leagues in those years. I pray the sports minister steps in and settle the issues.”
Also, another basketball player, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “I think if the minister intervenes, everything will be okay. Stakeholders need to come together to save the sport. What we have now is like going back to what we suffered in the last four years.”
Meanwhile, Ahmadu-Kida said his re-election was victory for Nigerian basketball.
“Regarding this electoral process, there is no victor and no vanquished. I am glad that this election was concluded without rancour and in the true spirit of sportsmanship. The only victor is Nigerian basketball,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, shortly after being sworn in, Igoche, founder of Mark Mentors of Abuja, said stakeholders rejected moves to impose those who will run the affairs of the federation on them.
“For me, it is exciting because for the first time stakeholders came together to take the bull by the horn, they have resisted every attempt of imposition. This is time to build the game of basketball. I want all to come together and join in building basketball,” Igoche stated.
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