‘Concerned NBBF Board members’ as guilty as Kida

On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, a group of Nigerian basketball stakeholders under the auspices of “Concerned Members of the out-gone Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Board” addressed a world press conference in Abuja to announce that the tenure of their board, led by Musa Kida, an engineer, had since elapsed and should no longer preside over […]

On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, a group of Nigerian basketball stakeholders under the auspices of “Concerned Members of the out-gone Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Board” addressed a world press conference in Abuja to announce that the tenure of their board, led by Musa Kida, an engineer, had since elapsed and should no longer preside over the sport in the country. The outing of the group was triggered by the ongoing leadership crisis in the NBBF.

The group of seven members stated unequivocally, among other things, that: “Pursuant to the combined effect of articles 2.8, 23.1 and 23.10 of the NBBF constitution (2019), which remains the operative legal framework governing the administration of basketball in Nigeria, the tenure of the Board, elected on January 31, 2022 in Benin City, expired on January 31, 2026.

“The constitution clearly provides that tenure commences immediately upon election and swearing-in at the venue of the election. The said swearing-in took place on January 31, 2022 in Benin City, with 11 out of 14 duly elected members in attendance.

“There is no provision within the constitution recognising or validating any separate “inauguration” ceremony as the commencement of tenure.”

The “Concerned NBBF Board members,” therefore, stressed that recent claims suggesting that the tenure of the Board, led by Kida, extends until October 2026, on the premise of an alleged inauguration by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in October 2022, are constitutionally untenable and should be disregarded.

The group also argued that long before October 2022, FIBA, the international body in charge of world basketball, had not only recognised and formally congratulated the Board but also worked closely with it, beginning from February 2022. Consequently, they insisted that any attempt to extend the tenure of the Board to October 2026 would be unconstitutional.

Apart from the contentious issue of the tenure of the Board, the group highlighted failure to convene congress and board meetings, as well as governance and financial concerns, as some of the grievous offences committed by the leadership of the NBBF board.

They concluded that the lifespan of the Board had expired, and since no congress has lawfully extended the tenure, “there is presently no constitutionally recognised NBBF Board in office, and no individual holds a lawful mandate to represent himself as the president of the NBBF. Consequently, any meeting called by the president of the out-gone Board is null and void.”

At this juncture, let me end the suspense because I am sure you all are eager to know the identities of the “Concerned Members of the out-gone NBBF Board.” They are seven highly respected Nigerian basketball stakeholders – Col Sam Ahmedu (retd), Prof Florence Adeyanju, Mr Scot Nnaji, Mr Adamu Deshi, Mr Olumide Bamiduro, Mr Suraj Yusuf, and former D’Tigers’ captain and Olympian, Olumide Oyedeji. Unless you are a newcomer to Nigerian basketball, these people are household names in the sport. Individually and collectively, they have contributed immensely to the growth of basketball in the country.

Sadly, they have also contributed to the problem that is presently threatening the existence of basketball in Nigeria. Personally, I have not shied away from telling anyone who cares to listen that based on the 2019 constitution of the NBBF, the Kida-led Board has expired since January 31, 2026. Therefore, the present agitation by the “Concerned Members of the out-gone NBBF Board” is nothing new to some of us. They are only stating an obvious fact, which for selfish reasons some people have refused to accept.

However, as the G-7 continues to push for change in leadership of the NBBF, the “concerned members” should be honest enough to admit that they too have contributed in no small measure to the present leadership crisis. Considering their impressive profiles, it is disappointing to hear them complain that for four years, they were completely sidelined by Kida, who is, or was only the first among equals.

If in four years there was no single congress at any time and they all kept quiet, whose fault is it?  Of course, it is an open secret that Article 21.9 has mandated the holding of four quarterly Board meetings every year, and if it wasn’t complied with throughout the tenure of the Board, where were they? Why are they crying out now? I know they will say it is better late than never.

If indeed the allegation by the G-7 that the NBBF under Kida has no official bank account, which is a constitutional violation, is true and they failed to challenge the illegality, how do they want Nigerians to take them seriously? Were they blindfolded or compromised to pave the way for the aberration?

It is also embarrassing that the group of eminent basketball personalities is now lamenting that the leadership of the Board failed to disclose to other members the total amount of sponsorship money. Why didn’t they raise an alarm immediately they noticed the constitutional breach? In fact, how do they want us to believe what they are saying?

So, even as they have suddenly shuddered back to life, the G-7 members should know that they are also complicit in the infractions they are alleging that Kida has committed against Nigerian basketball. It is unbelievable that as educated and knowledgeable as they are, members of the group seem not to know that the constitution has invested in them the power to impeach any underperforming president.

In view of the above, it will be unfair to put the whole blame for the decline in the Nigerian basketball on Kida alone. I reiterate that these Board members who have suddenly come out of a deep slumber must share in the blame for the deplorable state of the game. However, I support the increasing calls for Kida to leave because his leadership has not significantly impacted the sport.

In fact, most times I giggle when ardent and emergency supporters struggle to advertise Kida’s accomplishments as NBBF president. Such people labour hard to go beyond the successes recorded by D’Tigress on the international scene. They hardly have anything to convince anyone on how Kida’s board has contributed to the growth of the domestic league or the number of corporate sponsors the Board has attracted.

But before I am misunderstood, I am not insinuating that Kida has not contributed in any way to the development of the game in Nigeria. Apart from playing the sport actively in his undergraduate days, he transitioned into administration, where he served as the chairman of the Rivers State Basketball Association for many years; and before January 31, 2026, he was the president of the NBBF. I am only referring to the NBBF statutes. I also remember that some years back, in his effort to develop the game, he introduced what was known as basketball on wheels – an innovation that engendered the development of the sport at the grassroots level.

So, I recognise Kida’s invaluable contributions to Nigerian basketball. However, there is a time to act and a time to leave the stage when the ovation is still loudest. Moreover, Kida does not need any leadership position to contribute meaningfully to the development of the sport he loves so much. He should also remember that before he became the NBBF president, someone had to leave the position. Anyway, let me pause here for now. By the grace of God, I will write again.