Ahead of the September 30 election into the board of sporting federation in the country, Basketball Stakeholders under the auspices of Nigeria Basketball Vanguard have vowed that they will not participate in any election under the present dispensation until a new constitution is ratified by the congress of the sport.
The body described the 2017 election as a fraud, total sham and illegality that should have been throw into dustbin of history with the constitution distorted overnight to installed few elements in the leadership of the nation’s basketball.
Reacting to the circular put out by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development announcing that Sports Federation elections into six (6) federations including the NBBF, which “already have their Constitution ratified by their International Sports bodies and the Nigeria Olympic Committee will conduct their election based on their constitution”.
The Stakeholders who met in Abuja on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 argued that they are not aware of any constitution ratified by the Congress and approved by both the NOC and the continental body, FIBA.
Former NBBF president, Tijanni Umar who also is a member of the Stakeholders told Blueprint Sports that “ the September 30 election will be key. We must stop all forms of corruption and illegality perpetrated under the nose of former minister, Solomon Dalung.
We are just interested in improving the fortunes of the game in the country. There’s a lot of impunity going on. We need to put an end to the current sleaze and fraud going on in the Federation.
“As we’re talking FIBA does not know that we are having a Caretaker Committee in place. Where is it done ?
“We are consulting with all Stakeholders, the NOC inclusive let’s put the constitution on table and address all the issues squarely” he said
Another Stakeholder, president of one of the technical arms of the sport, Skambo Morrison said “as far as we know, there is no constitution approved by FIBA or the NOC for the NBBF. The constitution the ministry is talking about was neither ratified by FIBA nor approved by the Congress as the FIBA Status stipulates”.
He stressed that until all the Stakeholders are involved in the process and the Congress of the NBBF approves it, they will not participate in any election being planned for the NBBF.
Also speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Niger State Basketball Association, Mr. Gimba Garba stressed that a so-called constitution which aims to exclude some individuals cannot be a fair document on which an election can be conducted. “We cannot be part of any process which does not allow a level playing field. Until a true Constitution is ratified and approved by the Congress of basketball, the election should be suspended”, he argued.
It will be recalled that Basketball Federation has been riddled with crises for some years now.
