Presidential Candidates Petition Tinubu, Demand Halt to Elections

By Maxwell Kumoye 

 

Three presidential candidates in the forthcoming Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) elections have petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over electoral manipulation, constitutional violations and irregularities in the process leading to the 2026–2030 board elections.

In a petition dated October 12, 2026, the candidates called for urgent presidential intervention, accusing the outgoing NBBF President, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, who also chairs NNPC Ltd, of allegedly manipulating the electoral process in favour of his preferred candidate, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria.

The petition was addressed to President Tinubu, with copies sent to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume.

The petition was jointly signed by three presidential aspirants: Igoche Mark, who is also contesting for the North Central representative position; Olumide Oyedeji, seeking the presidency and the South West representative position; and Ejike Ugboaja, who is also contesting for the South East representative position.

The candidates expressed concern over what they described as serious breaches of the NBBF Constitution and a lack of transparency in the build-up to the elections.

In the petition, they stated that Kida had compromised the electoral process to favour Abdullahi.

"We, the undersigned stakeholders and candidates in the forthcoming Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) elections for the 2026–2030 term, most respectfully wish to draw your attention to grave irregularities and constitutional breaches in the ongoing electoral process," the petition stated.

The candidates further said the federation's leadership had embarked on the arbitrary removal and replacement of legitimate state basketball association chairmen and delegates barely two weeks before the Extraordinary and Elective Congresses.

According to them, more than 15 state association chairmen and representatives had been affected by the alleged changes, which they claimed were designed to influence the outcome of the elections.

The states specifically mentioned in the petition include Zamfara, Kaduna, Gombe, Benue, Kwara, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Niger, Edo and Taraba.

The petitioners also claimed that the changes involved financial inducements and the abuse of influence, with some state governors allegedly supporting the actions.

They described the development as contrary to the principles of fairness, equity and adherence to the NBBF Constitution.

The candidates further alleged that some aspirants had been excluded from positions they applied for by the federation's Electoral Committee, raising additional concerns about the transparency and consistency of the electoral process.

Beyond the irregularities, the petitioners also questioned Abdullahi's eligibility to lead the federation while serving as Director-General of a Federal Government agency.

They cited provisions of the Nigeria Public Service Rules, which they argued restrict full-time public servants from engaging in outside activities that could interfere with their official responsibilities.

The candidates expressed concern that Abdullahi's current position as head of the Energy Commission of Nigeria could affect his ability to give the basketball federation the level of commitment required of its president.

The petitioners, however, called on President Tinubu to intervene through the National Sports Commission (NSC), urging the commission to suspend the electoral process and investigate the allegations before the elections proceed.

"In view of the foregoing, we humbly appeal to Your Excellency to kindly direct the National Sports Commission (NSC), to halt the process, and investigate these breaches before any election takes place in exercise of its oversight functions in order to ensure transparency, fairness and compliance with the Constitution and thus preserve the integrity of Nigerian basketball," the petition concluded.

The petition places the NBBF elections under further scrutiny, with the candidates demanding an investigation into the alleged irregularities and safeguards to ensure that the process complies with the federation's constitution.