Today, five years ago, the same situation when the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF election was held in Kano in which Tijanni Umar came out as the winner, and Musa Kida was elected as the president of the NBBF in another election held in a hotel in Abuja, setting a chain of crisis that remained unabated even when both tenures technically expired, has been repeated.
So, two parallel congresses of the troubled NBBF has taken place in two locations Abuja and Benin City, Edo State.
In Abuja at the main bowl of Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, the founder and Initiator of Mark D Ball Basketball Championship, Igoche Mark was elected after pulling a total of eleven votes, and reports from Benin City indicated that Musa Kida has been re-elected. Five years ago, it was Kida v Tijjani Umar, and this time, it is still same Kida v Igoche Mark.
As it was five years ago, so it has been now as two parallel congresses of the troubled NBBF has taken place in two locations.
There were others elected along with them in their factions of the boards.
As it is now, it is unclear, which of the elections – Abuja and Benin – will get the official recognition by both the Nigeria Sports Ministry and the international federation – the International Basketball Federation, IBBF.
In Abuja, elected with Mark was Osita Nwachukwu as Vice President.
In Benin, Kida was returned as president. Babatunde Ogunade was elected as Vice president. Olumide Oyedeji, a retired NBA player, who has been itching to get the NBBF Vice President position, got into the board as representative of South West.
Even before the parallel elections, players of both D’Tigers and D’Tigress have vowed never to honour any invitation from Kida, on the basis of alleged short payment of their allowances; an issue that has tactically kept the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, away from the NBBF election imbroglio.
Players of D’Tigers on the other hand, were however bitter that Kida has referred to them as hoodlums and thugs, and are demanding for unreserved apology.
So, which of the factions will lead the national teams to the Nations Cup and World Championship, as the qualifier for the latter starts in February?
