Handful members of outgone NBBF board cries foul as constitution delivers the knockout punch

By Maxwell Kumoye 

 

 

The final buzzer has sounded on the tenure of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) board members whose reign officially expired on January 31, 2026.

But instead of exiting the court quietly, a handful of desperate holdovers are scrambling for relevance, throwing up wild shots that keep clanging off the rim.

With the keys to the federation already taken from them, the outgone officials have reportedly resorted to hiring half-baked media hands, figures alien to Nigerian basketball and clueless about its history in a bid to manufacture “feel-good vibes” and confuse the public.

Their latest attempt, a poorly packaged press release claiming their tenure has not ended. It didn’t just miss the mark; it air-balled.

To compound their misery, the NBBF Secretary-General, Amina Amanchi, has locked them out of the secretariat machinery, including the official letterhead which is an unmistakable sign that the game has moved on without them.

One of the former membersl of the outgone board, Retired Colonel Sam Ahmedu who is also the President FIBA Zone 3 as well as an executive member of FIBA Africa, wasted no time tearing the misleading release to shreds, exposing it as a rushed and desperate attempt to distract and deceive basketball stakeholders.

The flaws were glaring:

❌ The email attached to the release came from Akeem Busari’s personal account, not an official NBBF channel.

❌ Busari is media aide to Musa Kida, raising serious questions about motive and credibility.

❌ The release cited Article 8.1 of the NBBF Constitution as backing a four-year tenure from inauguration which is a flat-out falsehood. Article 8.1 speaks only on NBBF’s affiliation with FIBA, not tenure.

❌ Claims of tenure starting after “inauguration” collapsed under scrutiny, the Constitution recognizes swearing-in, not inauguration. Dragging in the Ministry of Sports as an “inaugurating authority” was, at best, smoke and mirrors.

❌ The Constitution does not spell out election dates but clearly defines when tenure begins and its four-year lifespan, as stated in Articles 28.1 and 23.10.

The facts are stubborn and unforgiving, elections and swearing-in took place on January 31, 2022. Four years later, on January 31, 2026, the tenure ended. 

In basketball, the scoreboard doesn’t lie. The clock has run out, the lights are dimming, and the old board’s last-second heave has fallen short. Nigerian basketball is already moving to the next possession without them.