As the federal ministry of youth and sports is set to conduct June 13 zonal and Presidential elections of all Sporting federations, the Board of Nigeria Basketball Federation after a one-day meeting in Abuja, declared its intention to conduct its own election separately.
The declaration which is coming exactly two weeks to the election is believed to be triggered by sudden dissolution of various boards by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung.
However, the ‘dissolved’ NBBF board has continued to carry on with their activities insisting that their constitution stipulates that dissolution can be carried out after an election has been conducted just as it is obtainable with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
Spokesman of the Federation, Patrick Omorodion who spoke to journalists in Abuja said their decision to conduct own board election is in line with international best practice which had adopted their constitution.
“In the eyes of FIBA, the world governing body of basketball, the board of NBBF still stands. Of course, we align with FIBA. FIBA believes that outgoing board has to conduct election and handover to whoever is coming”.
“And that is what we are following. Even the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC said that federations that have adopted their constitution should follow what their constitution says. What we are doing is in line with our constitution. Election of new board members is a process, we are going to agree and appoint the electoral panel that will conduct election of those that will pilot the affairs of NBBF in the next four years”.
Ex-captain of Nigeria’s Senior Men basketball team, D’tigers, Oyedeji Olumide said that the current electoral guidelines for sporting federations which created leadership vacuum would spell doom for Nigerian basketball.
Olumide who is a board member of NBFF particular warned that the country would have to pay a whooping sum of $500, 000 to FIBA should the Sports Minister stop NBBF board from organizing already scheduled friendly game with another senior national Men’s team in China in three weeks time.
“If you are a sponsor and every single thing you hear from Nigerian basketball is negative, will you invest? You don’t have to be a leader to contribute your quota to the development of basketball in the country”.
“If you leave any vacuum in the leadership of NBBF, how do we prosecute matches we have already fixed with teams in China? If Nigerian government doesn’t have money to give in the day-to-day running of the basketball, where will they get money to pay for committing an offence that will cost hundreds of dollars.” He asked
