There has been for years now an internal endless bogged down in the Nigeria Basketball Federation which has stimulated the Federal Government to place a two-year withdrawal of NBBF participation in any international competition or tournament.
During the NBBF election held earlier this year to determine its executive committee, two factions emerged from the election held in Benin and Abuja. The incumbent NBBF President Musa Kida was reelected into office along with Babatunde Ogunade as the vice president-elect. Meanwhile, in Abuja, another election took place that brought in Noche Mark, as President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), and Osita Nwachukwu, was elected as his vice.
Four years ago it was recalled that a similar appalling event occurred when two elections were held in Abuja and Kano respectively. Musa Kida was elected in Abuja as the FBBN president, and Tijani Umar emerged as the winner of the poll in Kano. Confusingly, these sets of elections that have been conducted over the years have International and National observers as witnesses.
Despite the Federation of International Basketball Association (FIBA) confirmation of Musa Kida as the only recognized NBBF President in a letter dated March 7, 2022, and jointly signed by its President, Hamane Niang, and Secretary-General, Andreas Zelensky the crisis in the federation never ceased to end.
Today, a letter released from the office of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development highlighted in paragraph one that the President of Nigeria Mohammadu Buhari has approved the withdrawal of NBBF from all international Basket competitions. In paragraph two, it buttresses that the stiffened sanction was instituted to help the government concentrate to address the revamping unending crisis. And Paragraph three stated that an interim management committee will be formed to help in the continuation of the domestic league in Nigeria. The federal government also assured fans, players, officials, and other stakeholders of the sports to be calm as it embarks on reaching and repositioning the game of Basketball in Nigeria.
