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Former D’Tigers captain Olumide Oyedeji has said his appeal against the outcome of the October 15 Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) presidential election is aimed at the process that produced the new leadership, not the winner.
Oyedeji, a FIBA and NBA ambassador, lost the presidential race to Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, Director-General of the Nigeria Energy Commission. He cited alleged constitutional violations, irregularities in delegate selection and a flawed electoral process as his grounds.
Speaking to FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG by telephone from Guangzhou, China, he said: “I have nothing against Dr Mustapha Abdullahi who was declared the winner and new NBBF President at the Elective Congress. But there are numerous flaws with the entire process which was apparently staged managed.”
Among his grounds, Oyedeji alleged that the outgoing president unlawfully expelled eight NBBF board members, a move he claimed allowed decisions to be taken without the required quorum.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the Extraordinary Congress in Yola, alleging that it was convened without the constitutionally required written request from two-thirds of the board. He added that official minutes of both the Extraordinary and Elective Congresses have not been made available.
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Oyedeji further claimed that key constituencies, including players, coaches, referees and NAPHER-SD, were excluded from the Extraordinary Congress. He also raised concerns over the removal of state basketball association chairpersons and discrepancies in the replacement of delegates ahead of the election.
Another major grievance was the omission of his name from the published list of candidates for South-West representative, despite his nomination for the position alongside the presidency. Although his name was eventually added during the October 15 congress, he argued that the late correction had already hurt his campaign and cost him supporters.
He also challenged the Appeals Committee’s scrutiny of his tax clearance certificate and its decision to give him 24 hours to respond to a query, arguing that the deadline lacked a clear basis in the applicable electoral rules.
Oyedeji warned that the alleged irregularities could erode confidence in sports federation elections and shut out experienced stakeholders from basketball administration.
He insisted he would pursue the appeal to its conclusion, saying the issues raised must be addressed to ensure more transparent and inclusive elections in Nigerian sports.
