The Premier Basketball League teams in Nigeria have resolved not to participate in the proposed ‘Abridged Premier League’ scheduled for November 12-17, 2018, or any other Tournament or League that is organized as a duplication of the Kwese Premier League which was recently concluded.
This position was reached after a simple majority vote by all the 15 member teams, with 13 voting for a boycott of the proposed ‘abridged league’, none voting against such boycott, while 2 members abstained from voting pending further consultation with their principals.
According to the Communiqué signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Premier League Team Owners Council, Sani Ahmed and S.K. Bello respectively, the Premier League teams argued that playing in the so-called Abridged League would not only ridicule the Kwese Premier League they participated in but embarrass “the most significant sponsor in the history of Nigeria Basketball”.
They also rose in defence of two of their members, Gombe Bulls and Kwara Falcons, declaring that both teams “are the legitimate Representatives of Nigeria in any FIBA Africa Club Championship for the year 2018”, as champion and runner-up of the 2018 Kwese Premier League.
On the “arbitrary exclusion of three of its members (Anambra Flames, Ahip and Comets), from the list of Premier League Teams provided by the Musa Kida NBBF faction”, the group resolved to “resist every attempt to victimize or marginalize any of its members by either NBBF faction”.
They also appealed to their “members, the players, Nigerian basketball stakeholders and the general public to remain calm, and ignore any inciting comments or actions regarding this matter”, stressing that “it is our collective duty to ensure that peace, order and stability return to Nigerian basketball”.
