Mustapha Abdullahi, Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, has been elected president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) after a disputed election in Abuja on Thursday, with his victory coming amid allegations of irregularities and protests by rival candidates. Mr Abdullahi secured 40 of the 48 votes cast at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, defeating former D’Tigers captain Olumide Oyedeji, who received eight votes.
Former Nigerian international Ejike Ugboaja received no votes, while another presidential aspirant, Igoche Mark, withdrew from the contest a day before the election, citing concerns about the fairness and credibility of the process. Mr Ugboaja also walked out of the proceedings after voting began, alleging that the process had been hijacked in favour of Mr Abdullahi. The election nevertheless continued, producing a new president for the federation.
The outcome followed a petition dated 12 October, in which Mr Mark, Mr Oyedeji and Mr Ugboaja asked President Bola Tinubu to direct the National Sports Commission (NSC) to halt the election and investigate alleged breaches of the NBBF constitution. In the letter made available to PREMIUM TIMES, the three aspirants accused outgoing president Musa Kida of compromising the process to favour Mr Abdullahi.
They also alleged that more than 15 state basketball association chairmen and representatives had been removed and replaced shortly before the election. The allegations have not been independently established. Mr Kida and Mr Abdullahi have not responded to the claims made in the petition either. The controversy surrounding the election extended beyond the withdrawals and allegations at the congress.
A Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned a suit challenging the legality of the NBBF elective congress until 3 November, allowing the election to proceed while the legal challenge remained pending.