NBBF congress urge FIBA to halt alleged tenure extension

In a decisive move, more than two-thirds of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Congress has appealed to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to intervene in what they term a constitutional crisis. The appeal centers on allegations of grave violations and an illegal extension of tenure by the federation’s outgoing leadership. The petition, dated 1 February […]

In a decisive move, more than two-thirds of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Congress has appealed to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to intervene in what they term a constitutional crisis. The appeal centers on allegations of grave violations and an illegal extension of tenure by the federation’s outgoing leadership.

The petition, dated 1 February 2026 and bearing the signatures of 33 Congress members, was directed to the FIBA Secretary-General. It urgently requests that FIBA empower Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to organize an Extraordinary Congress and conduct fresh elections without delay.

The core argument of the petitioners is that the tenure of the board led by President Musa Kida expired conclusively on 31 January 2026. They note the board was elected on 31 January 2022 for a four-year term, as stipulated by the NBBF constitution, and now lacks any legitimate authority to remain in office.

The letter levies serious allegations of poor governance, accusing the outgoing board of failing to convene a single Congress or Annual General Meeting during its entire four-year term.

This is in direct contravention of constitutional mandates requiring at least one annual congress, including an elective one in the final year. The Congress members further state that board meetings have been inactive for over a year, with the last held in late 2024, leading to paralyzed development programs and a complete communication breakdown within the federation.

They specifically charge the Kida who currently serves as the non-executive chairman of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd)  with operating as a “sole administrator,” allegedly avoiding statutory meetings to prolong his tenure. The petition references a stakeholders’ meeting on 9 January 2026, where a proposal to extend the board’s tenure to October 2026—based on its inauguration date—was reportedly dismissed by attendees.

The Congress members firmly assert that the constitution is unambiguous: tenure commences from the date of election and oath-taking, not the subsequent inauguration. This position is bolstered by attached official correspondence from the NOC, the NBBF President himself, and a state association chairman.

Invoking FIBA’s supreme authority, the petitioners call for immediate action to declare the current board’s tenure ended and to sanction the holding of fresh elections on or before 31 March 2026, thereby restoring constitutional order to Nigerian basketball.