Ado Salisu
Former D’Tigers coach and President of Comets Basketball Club of Lagos, Ayodele Bakare, has questioned the constitutional basis of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Extraordinary Congress held in Yola, Adamawa State, on September 25, 2026.
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Bakare, who attended the congress as a delegate, raised the concerns in the second instalment of his personal account titled “The Memoirs of a Delegate to the 2026 NBBF Extraordinary Congress.”
His comments followed the Congress’ approval of October 15, 2026, as the date for the NBBF elective congress in Abuja. The Congress also constituted a seven-member Electoral Committee and a three-member Elections Appeals Committee.
The NBBF said 39 of its 44 delegates attended the Yola meeting, although Bakare noted that the federation’s Constitution provides for 50 Congress delegates.
According to Bakare, a delegate questioned during the proceedings whether the Extraordinary Congress had been validly convened in accordance with the NBBF Constitution.
He said NBBF President, Engineer Ahmadu Musa Kida, explained that the meeting was necessary to meet the October 15 deadline associated with the federation’s electoral transition.
Bakare, however, argued that the communication from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) outlining the electoral timeline had been received on March 16, 2026, which, in his view, provided sufficient time to convene a congress in line with the NBBF Constitution.
He further said Kida proposed that Congress could vote to waive any constitutional provisions that might affect the validity of the meeting.
Bakare said delegates subsequently sought clarification on whether they were being asked to suspend the relevant constitutional provisions for the meeting or amend the Constitution to address the objections.
According to him, delegates rejected both options, arguing that such a move would conflict with the NBBF Constitution and the applicable electoral directives.
He added that no vote was eventually taken to waive or suspend the constitutional provisions.
Bakare also questioned the federation’s compliance with provisions relating to the convening of Congress. He cited Article 20.2, which provides for an Ordinary Congress to be held annually, with every fourth Ordinary Congress serving as an Elective Congress.
He questioned why, based on his interpretation of the provision, the required annual Ordinary Congress had not been held during the four-year tenure of the current board.
Bakare further referenced Article 20.5, which provides for an Extraordinary Congress following a written request from two-thirds of the members, with the meeting to be held within 21 days of such a request.
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He therefore questioned whether the constitutional requirement for written requests from two-thirds of the relevant members had been fulfilled in relation to the September 25 meeting.
“Calculated any way you dice the contentious number of Board members,” Bakare argued, the requirement would amount to written requests from approximately eight or nine members, depending on whether the board is considered to have 11, 12 or 13 members.
He consequently questioned whether such written requests existed.
The former D’Tigers coach also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the prolonged exclusion of some members of the NBBF Board.
According to Bakare, no written evidence of resignation had been presented, in his account, to contradict claims by some affected members that they had not resigned.
He cited Article 21.11.1, which deals with circumstances under which a board member may be deemed to have vacated office.
He also referenced Articles 21.14 and 21.15, which concern the suspension and removal of board members, as well as Article 29, arguing that the applicable constitutional procedures should be established if the exclusion of board members resulted from disciplinary action.
The issues raised by Bakare come amid increased scrutiny of the NBBF’s electoral transition, following the scheduling of the elective congress for October 15 in Abuja.
Under the announced timetable, elections for technical, players’ and other affiliate representatives are scheduled to take place between October 7 and 14.
Bakare also questioned the implications of proceeding with an electoral process that, in his view, could subsequently face constitutional or legal challenges.
He raised the possibility of the electoral process extending beyond October 15 and questioned what mechanisms would apply if the current board’s recognised tenure expires before a new administration is elected.
He urged stakeholders to consider whether the NBBF Constitution or previous precedents provide mechanisms for avoiding a governance vacuum while allowing sufficient time for an electoral process conducted in accordance with the federation’s governing rules.
Bakare warned that rushing the election could expose the process to subsequent legal or constitutional challenges.
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He concluded by questioning whether strict adherence to the NBBF Constitution should take precedence in efforts to resolve what he described as recurring disputes surrounding elections within the federation.
Bakare said his next instalment would examine what he described as the “contentious removals and replacements of Delegates” to the Yola Congress and the provisions of the NBBF Constitution relating to the matter.