NBBF electoral committee completes screening of candidates

The Nigeria Basketball Federation Electoral Committee has completed the screening of candidates for the October 15 elective congress in Abuja, clearing four presidential aspirants and disqualifying one for late submission, according to a statement signed by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Dr Lanre Glover.

The cleared 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 2.12pm on October 8, 12 minutes after the 2pm deadline.

Ugo Udezue is the only candidate for vice president.

Two candidates are in the running for each of the South-South, North West and South West zonal positions, while the North East, North Central and South East each have one.

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

The statement, which Glover addressed to the outgoing NBBF President, Engr Musa Kida, set out three conditions. Igoche Mark has until Monday to submit his tax clearance, or he will be disqualified.

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The committee expects the federation to decide on its affiliate members by October 14, saying they are solely the responsibility of the NBBF. The international representative must also present a letter from FIBA confirming the position.

The Electoral Committee was approved at the federation’s Extraordinary Congress in Yola, Adamawa State, where 39 of the 44 delegates in attendance endorsed it. 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 as secretary.

The contest for the presidency has several well-known figures.

Oyedeji, a former NBA player, declared his candidacy at a press conference in Lagos on Monday. Mark is the initiator of the Mark D Ball Basketball Championship, and Abdullahi is the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria. Ugboaja has called for a transparent process in which all candidates are treated equally.

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