Daily Trust

Umar re-elected NBBF president as ministry kicks

- By Orkula Shaagee, with agency reports

Erstwhile president of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Mr Tijani Umar, has been re-elected President of the Federation for a third term.

Patrick Omorodion, Media Head of the Federation, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the election was held in Kano yesterday.

He said the election was conducted by a three-man electoral committee led by a Lagos-based barrister, Kennedy Osunwa.

Omorodion said the federation elected the new board for a four-year tenure.

“Those elected are Tijani Umar, the North-East representa­tive, as President; Olumide Oyedeji, FIBA World Representa­tive, as VicePresid­ent.

“Others newly-elected members of the board are Muktar Khaled, the FIBA Africa representa­tive, Dr Joseph Adeyemo from Kwara, the North-Central representa­tive, Mustapha Suleiman from Kano, NorthWest representa­tive, and Segun Famuyiwa, the SouthWest representa­tive.

“The rest are Ejike Paul, the South-East representa­tive, Stanley Gumut, the Athletes representa­tive, and Mrs Margaret Porbeni, the representa­tive of the National Associatio­n of Women in Sports (NAWIS),” he said.

Omorodion said the election for the South-South representa­tive would be through a bye-election that would be conducted at a later date.

Omorodion later told Daily Trust in a telephone chat that the NBBF is not party to the election slated for Abuja today.

“The last time we spoke, I told you that we (NBBF) are not party to the election in Abuja and we have done our own today.

Yesterday’s elections in Kano came ahead of the one being organised by the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports in Abuja today for all boards of the national sports federation­s in the country.

When contacted, the SA Media to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Nneka Ikem Anibeze said yesterday’s exercise in Kano was illegal and that the actual NBBF elections would take place today in Abuja alongside 31 other sports federation­s.

“No backing of the ministry. It’s a faction led by Tijani Umar that held illegitima­te elections in Kano. The NBBF will hold elections tomorrow alongside 31 other in Abuja,” she said.

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