NBBF confirms candidates for upcoming elections

The Nigeria Basketball Federation Electoral Committee has finished screening candidates for the elective congress on October 15 in Abuja. They have cleared four presidential aspirants and disqualified one for submitting late, according to a statement from the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Dr Lanre Glover.

The approved presidential candidates are former D’Tigers captain Olumide Oyedeji, Igoche Mark, Mustapha Abdullahi, and former D’Tigers star Ejike Ugboaja. Ayo Bakare was disqualified because his nomination forms arrived at 2.12 PM on October 8, which was 12 minutes after the 2 PM deadline.

Ugo Udezue is the only candidate for vice president. There are two candidates each for the South-South, North West, and South West zonal positions. The North East, North Central, and South East each have one candidate.

In the South-South, Osaze Omorodion and Fubara Fibika have been cleared. Yusuf Surajo and Shaibu Mohammed will contest in the North West, while Adesanya Babatunde Abiola and Babatunde Ogunade Omotayo are the candidates from the South West. Abubakar Abba Kaka was cleared for the North East, Abdullahi Mustapha for the North Central, and Udezue for the South East.

The statement from Glover, addressed to the outgoing NBBF President, Engr Musa Kida, mentions three conditions. Igoche Mark has until Monday to submit his tax clearance, or he will face disqualification.

The committee expects the federation to finalize its affiliate members by October 14. They said this task lies solely with the NBBF. The international representative must also provide a letter from FIBA to confirm their position.

The Electoral Committee was approved during the federation’s Extraordinary Congress in Yola, Adamawa State. Thirty-nine out of the 44 delegates present endorsed the committee. It also includes Sr Femi Olugbile, Alhaji Sani Fema, Engr Priscilla Ngozi Iroaganachi, Major General David Lubo, and Mallam Farouk Yarima, with Barrister Ichene Kalu serving as secretary.

The race for the presidency features several notable figures. Oyedeji, who played in the NBA, announced his candidacy at a press conference in Lagos on Monday. Mark is known for starting the Mark D Ball Basketball Championship, while Abdullahi serves as the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria. Ugboaja has called for a fair process that treats all candidates equally.

The congress will start at 9 AM on October 15 in Abuja, after the committee publishes the final list of qualified candidates.