…As former board refuses to relinquish power
More facts have emerged as to why the former board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, led by Tijani Umar, have refused to surrender power by organising a separate election in Kano to rubbish the efforts made by the Sports Ministry to reconstitute a fresh board in Abuja during the Sports federation elections.
The Point reliably gathered that Umar, during the NBBF board Annual General Meeting in January this year, had illegally reviewed the basketball constitution to suit their agenda for the election.
Umar and his associates had locked out distinguished Basketball stakeholders like President of FIBA Africa Zone 3, Col. Sam Ahmedu (Rtd.) and Chairman, Lagos State Basketball Association, just to have his way.
At the meeting, a written constitution was passed round to the stakeholders for immediate endorsement, after which a copy was sent to the international body, FIBA.
The Constitution, which no one had seen before, except perhaps only by some members of the board, was read to the AGM. And there and then, those present at the AGM were compelled to adopt the Constitution same time, because the document has to be returned to FIBA.
After perusing the document, it was concluded that the exercise has been a desperate ploy by the President of the NBBF Board to perpetuate himself in office after having served eight years of two terms as President of the same body.
According to Article 9.3 of the constitution, the tenure of the President, Vice President and members is four years and are eligible for re-election (No specific term limit is fixed for the President and Vice president). Article 11.1 of Office Holders – states that President, Vice-President and other board members shall be held every four years in conformity with the constitution.
Umar had informed the stakeholders that based on advice from a legal practitioner, the President and Vice Presidents can continue to be elected every four years for as long as they want, by an electoral panel that will be set up by them and based on guidelines drawn up by their stooges whom they may appoint to do their bidding. They can not be allowed to appoint an Electoral Panel to conduct an election in which they will or may partake.
The NBBF constitution also gave the body undeserved autonomy to operate independently outside the umbrella of the Sports Ministry and the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
The Umar-led NBBF now took it upon themselves to organise an election in Kano, as stipulated in the constitution already submitted to FIBA and shunned the proposed election put together by the Sports Ministry.
According to an independent observer, no delegate voted in Kano, it was just a selection of who-is-who in Nigerian basketball, stressing that majority of the delegates were actively involved in the Abuja election.
Col. Ahmedu has, however, described the Kano election as a joke, saying that Musa Ahadu-Kida is the authentic NBBF president while Olumide Oyedeji said the Kano elections of the Tijani Umar group were credible.
