National elections in Nigeria are always like a war. From the campaigns to the elections proper, even governance after winning the elections, genuinely or fraudulently, it is more of war than civility.
The same thing has been introduced into sports. That is why election into the board of Sports Federations are following the same steps applied by politicians.
Otherwise why would an outgoing president of a Federation take out board members who were elected like himself and run a Federation like his personal estate?
Why would he manipulate the Federation’s Congress leading to the election because he doesn’t want some members to challenge his plots to disenfranchise those who he thinks may not support him or his chosen candidate?
That is the major problem facing the basketball fraternity in Nigeria ahead of the election into the NBBF board scheduled for Abuja this Thursday.
Majority of the stakeholders have alleged that State Associations Chairmen who form the bulk of the electorates were either being removed or their voting power transferred to other persons just a couple of weeks to the election.
They are saying that a level playing field is not being allowed by the outgoing board and are seriously kicking against the election.
Actions, I hear, are also being considered to halt the election if their complaints are not addressed urgently.
Though I was among those who vehemently opposed the emergence of Musa Kida as NBBF president in 2017 as a member of the 2013-2017 board, I stepped aside after former sports minister, Solomon Dalung used his position with the connivance of some stakeholders and officials of the world body, FIBA, who were only interested in seeing our national teams in their competitions and not the progress of our local leagues, to legitimize the Kida board.
However, as a concerned Nigerian who believes that no matter what, no sport in Nigeria should be allowed to be destroyed because of the teeming youths and officials whose lives depended on the growth and sustenance of basketball, I have decided to join forces with other good-spirited stakeholders to see how the sport could be rescued. That is why I have chosen to publish here (in italics ) a piece by one of the strong pillars of basketball in Nigeria,
Mr Ayodele Bakare, former D’Tigers coach and proprietor of the famous Comets basketball club of Akure.
”Today, I was shocked to read a prominent supporter of one of the aspirants to the position of NBBF President, attacking the declaration of candidacy by Olumide Oyedeji.
My shock was made more profound, because that supporter was pushing for one of the three candidates who I believed should be given priority consideration in this approaching NBBF Board elections.
Because electing them would be the first time the NBBF would be led by a former player. We have tried everything else, why not try a former player who understands first-hand where the shoe pinches?
I’ve always pushed for a ‘Rainbow Coalition’ as the most effective way to achieve this. And I thought most people believed so too. So, falling victim to this friendly fire, this act of cannibalism, was totally unanticipated. I responded as copied below.
”Sir, attacking Olumide may be an ill conceived wrong move. A very wrong move, that could prove very costly for your candidate. Olumide is not ‘the enemy’, and this thinly veiled attack on him is totally without merit.
1) Olumide is an aspirant for the position of NBBF President, not a member of, or marketer for the Electoral Committee supervising the Elections. He should therefore not be held responsible for things such as the inaccessibility of election materials, or election malpractices, or for candidates who perhaps cannot navigate their way to obtain nomination forms, as you are attempting to do.
2) I greatly admire your candidate and believe he is one of the three candidates (Olumide, Ejike, and Stanley), who we must seriously consider for the position of NBBF President. Given their rich history as former players who have gone through the system and understand where the shoe pinches. However, forcing a comparison of ‘resumes’ as you are attempting to do, may be dangerous for your candidate, because there are levels to what you are trying to base your argument on. I will not elaborate further so as not to cast undeserved shadows on the admirable qualities of your candidate.
3) I have always canvassed for a ‘Rainbow Coalition’, where these candidates join forces against the anointed proxy of the current NBBF leadership. In my eyes, they are not competing against each other, but contesting against a corrupt system, which they may not be able to defeat un- less they join forces. In my humble opinion, that should be the focus. Rather than selfish and erroneously weakening them further, with ill advised cannibalism on each other.
Sir, please don’t make Nigerian basketball lose this ‘World War’, because of a myopic focus on a mere ‘communal clash”.
I want to commend Mr. Bakare for constantly wanting the right things to be done in basketball.
It is my wish that all those who truly believe in repositioning Nigeria’s basketball to be the strongest and best in the continent, as once postulated by one time FIBA Advisor, Lubomir Kotleba, should join hands in this great task.
As an aside, I will close this piece by issuing red cards to both FIFA and CAF for their questionable decisions in recent times which have made mockery of the beautiful game of football.
FIFA, for knowing that DR Congo’s goalkeeper, Lionel Mpasi was ineligible to play the World Cup qualifiers but covered it up.
Then CAF, for the absurd decisions on the 2025 AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco as well as the 2026 WAFU B-final between Edo Queens of Benin City and Ampem Darkoa of Ghana.
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