15th March, 2018
The International Federation of Basketball Associations (FIBA) has called for fresh elections into the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) as the only way to resolve the ongoing crisis in body.
FIBA made the call in a letter on the way forward by its Secretary-General, Patrick Bauma, to the NBBF Secretary, Chimezie Asiegbu, the leaders of the two factions in NBBF, Musa Kida and Tijjani Umar, a former NBBF President.
It also sent the same letter to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), maintaining that its initial stance of July 2017, requesting for fresh elections to resolve the crisis rocking the federation stood.
“FIBA said this decision became necessary as the June 12 and June 13 elections held in Kano and Abuja respectively failed to meet its statutes,’’ a statement by Afolabi Oni, the Media Coordinator to the Musa Kida-led NBBF board said.
The statement added that communication between the international organisations with Nigeria would still be maintained between Kida and FIBA.
“Communication will still be maintained with Engineer Musa Kida, Babatunde Ogunade and Chimezie Asiegbu until such time the new elections are held as per our letter of July 26, 2017.
“This is arising from FIBA’s Feb. 10 meeting held at FIBA secretariat in Switzerland, the body noted that.
“In the absence of an amicable solution between the parties, FIBA Executive Committee has decided that new elections shall be held.
“FIBA will determine when the NBBF statutes are compliant per the above and reserve the right to oversee parts or the entirety of the new elections process,’’ the statement quoted the FIBA letter as saying.