The crisis in the country’s basketball continued on Monday as the much await Congress to usher in the board members of the federation were held in two cities – Abuja, Federal capital Territory and Benin, Edo State.
In Abuja, Mark Igoche was elected the new President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, what will mark another faceoff in the body as another faction in Benin elected Engineer Musa Kida to run the affairs of the body.
Mr Igoche Chairman and CEO of Mark Mentors Basketball Club and founder Mark D Ball Basketball Championship was elected the new boss in Abuja after he polled 11 votes at the Elective Congress of held at the package A of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
His election was in line with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports directive which instructed that the elective Congress be held in Abuja on January 31, 2022
Igoche and Osita Nwachukwu were elected president and Vice President of the Nigeria of the NBBF respectively.
Chairman of the electoral committee Suleman Muhammed and vice chairman of the FCT Basketball Association said he was pleased that the election was free and fair in line with the Sports Ministry’s directive.
“I am very happy to see the election was conducted in line with Sports Ministry’s directive. The election was very free and fair.” Muhammed stated.
However, another result of similar election held in Benin where those loyal to embattled former president of the NBBF Kida gathered to anoint him for a second term. He polled 37 votes at the Elective Congress that took place in Benin City.
Babatunde Ogunade stepped down as South West representative on the floor of the election to pave way for ex-Nigerian international, Olumide Oyedeji who got the mandate of the six states in the zone.
In the race for the Vice Presidency, Ogunade garnered 30 votes while Oyedeji got 7 votes with 28 states out of 37 states present at the congress monitored by FIBA ably represented by Ahmed Elhariri (President of FIBA Zone 5 and member, FIBA Central Board) and Nigeria Olympic Committee’ represented by its second Vice President, Engr Ishaku Tikon.
Like the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN elections last year, two presidents of the NBBF have emerge even after months of intrigues that nearly put the country on the verge of being axed by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
