FIBA nullifies NBBF elections, orders fresh polls

• We will cooperate with world body, says Kida
After about eight months of crisis, the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) yesterday called for fresh elections into the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

In a letter signed by FIBA Secretary General, Patrick Bauman and addressed to NBBF secretary, Chimezie Asiegbu, Engineer Musa Kida (NBBF president), Tijani Umar (former NBBF president) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), FIBA said the decision became necessary as the June 12 and 13 elections held in Kano and Abuja respectively failed to meet its statutes.

Despite the call for a fresh election, FIBA says “Communication still to be maintained with Engineer Musa Kida, Babatunde Ogunade and Chimezie Asiegbu until such time as the new elections are held as per our letter of 26 July, 2017.” Kida and Ogunade are president and vice president respectively of a faction of the NBFF, which has Asiegbu as secretary general.

Arising from its February 10 meeting held at the FIBA secretariat in Switzerland, the body noted: “In the absence of an amicable solution between the parties, the Executive Committee has decided that new elections shall be held.”

FIBA, which maintained its earlier stance of not recognizing both elections, pointed out that it would work with relevant stakeholders to amend and develop the NBBF statutes so that such statutes fully comply with all relevant and applicable regulations, primarily the FIBA General Statutes, and guarantee complete independence of the election with no influence from third parties.

“FIBA will determine when the NBBF statutes are compliant per the above and reserves the right to oversee parts or the entirety of the elections process”, the letter stated.

Meanwhile, Engineer Kida has maintained that the NBBF would cooperate with FIBA to come up with acceptable statutes for basketball administration in Nigeria in line with FIBA’s provision.