Bakare insists process must be cancelled

The crises that have dogged the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) seem far from being over despite the election of a new leadership for the federation.

The NBBF held its elective congress on Thursday, October 15, with the Director General of the National Energy Commission, Mustapha Abdullahi, elected as the board’s new president.

However, one of the contestants in the polls supervised by the National Sports Commission (NSC), Olumide Oyedeji, has rejected the outcome of the elections, alleging that the process was marred by irregularities.

The former captain of the national basketball team, D’Tigers, has, thus, appealed to the Electoral Appeals Committee to nullify the exercise and order a fresh election.
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‎In his appeal addressed to the committee chaired by Emmanuel Okibe, Oyedeji raised concerns over alleged constitutional violations and irregularities, which, he argued, undermined the credibility of the electoral process.
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Oyedeji said his protest went beyond the election results or his candidacy, to the need to set a judicial precedent, protect the NBBF constitution and safeguard the game against external interests.
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Among the issues raised by the founder of Hoops and Read Men’s Basketball Club of Lagos was his initial exclusion from the list of candidates for the position of South-West Representative, despite fulfilling all requirements. He noted that his late inclusion, following a widely publicised exclusion by the Dr Lanre Glover-led Electoral Committee, placed him at a disadvantage and contravened the NBBF constitution and electoral guidelines.
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‎Oyedeji also challenged the expulsion of eight board members by the Musa Kida-led NBBF board, describing the decision as unconstitutional. He argued that their removal prevented duly elected members from participating in the processes leading to the Extraordinary Congress and Elective Congress, in violation of the federation’s constitution.
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‎The former national team captain protested the emergence of Mustapha Abdullahi as NBBF president and Babatunde Ogunade as South-West Representative.

He said both candidates benefited from electoral irregularities, while accusing the former NBBF president and secretary of circumventing the electoral process.
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As part of his appeal, Oyedeji raised concerns over the arbitrary removal of state basketball association chairmen and the accreditation of individuals who did not meet the requirements stipulated in the NBBF constitution.
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‎He is seeking the nullification of the electoral process and a fresh election, arguing that the issues raised must be addressed to protect the integrity of the federation’s constitution and future elections.

Meanwhile, a former national team coach, Ayodele Bakare, is insisting that the process that led to last weekend’s elections was faulty; hence the polls in Abuja on Thursday remain null and void.

Bakare, who has taken his case to an Abuja Federal High Court, is insisting that the elections held in Abuja were a waste of time.

Bakare, who was disqualified from vying for the presidency of the federation on the grounds that he submitted his papers late, is challenging the validity of the extraordinary congress held in Yola, Adamawa State, alleging that the process violated provisions of the federation’s constitution.

Bakare argued that the notice convening the Yola congress was not issued in accordance with the NBBF Constitution, claiming that neither two-thirds of Congress members nor the federation’s board provided the required notice.

The court has fixed November 3 for the hearing of the case.

Bakare is optimistic that the court will uphold his plea and order fresh elections into the NBBF board through the means prescribed by the NBBF constitution.