This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the
federation’s extraordinary congress held via Zoom on Thursday.
The move comes after the Ministry of Youth and Sports
Development suspended the election over the leadership crisis rocking the federation.
The ministry’s decision was, however, initially rejected by
the NBBF, who insisted that their constitution didn’t give the sports ministry
the right to postpone their election.
Thursday’s move by the NBBF however saw them make a U-turn
from their initial stand, postponing the election by “a few weeks”.
“That, as advised by the FMY&S (sports ministry) that
the Elective Congress be postponed to a later date, congress unanimously agreed
to postpone the elective congress by a few weeks.
“Congress mandated the NBBF president (Musa Ahmadu-Kida) to
engage the FMY&SD in a positive discussion for a free, fair, transparent
and successful elections to be held to usher in a new board,” the NBBF
communique read.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Ondo State Basketball Association,
Francis Gbiri, has faulted the NBBF constitution.
“All we are saying is that the NBBF constitution is
self-centered, it is giving some people an advantage. Somebody is nominated,
gets endorsement from one or two states and becomes an automatic member. I
think it is undue favour, let everybody go to their constituencies and slug it
out,” Gbiri said
Gbiri, a former NBBF secretary-general, added, “I know that
as far back as 2017, the then president of the federation sent it to FIBA and they
made their observations and sent it back, it is the same constitution we still
have. The grey areas in the constitution are that you cannot give people an
automatic ticket without passing through the constituencies. If you think you
are good, go to your base.”
According to him, it was the complaints of basketball
stakeholders that made the sports minister Sunday Dare move the election
indefinitely.
“So, the minister knows what he is doing, he is a learned
fellow and he has seen those flaws, that’s why he is making amends,” he added
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