The Nigeria Basketball Federation is heading into another election clouded by crisis, with stakeholders accusing president Musa Kida of manipulating the process to install his preferred candidate. The grievances echo a long-running power struggle that began in 2017 when the sports ministry, then led by Solomon Dalung, oversaw two parallel elections that produced two rival boards, one led by Kida and another by Tijjani Umar.
Kida, who came to office after that disputed process, is now seeking a third term, the same length of tenure he had earlier argued disqualified Umar. According to the source, he has fallen out with most of his board members and majority of stakeholders, yet is allegedly engineering the removal of state basketball association chairmen who resist him and replacing them with his own supporters, with the help of state governors. In states where he could not influence governors, voting rights are being withdrawn from chairmen and transferred to unknown persons.
Basketball stakeholders say the National Sports Commission, which is responsible for overseeing sports federations, is turning a blind eye to the alleged scheming. The NSC's director general Bukola Olopade responded to criticism via WhatsApp, asking the writer to ask again about the role the NSC has played, but has not clarified what steps are being taken to guarantee a free and fair vote. NSC chairman Shehu Dikko has not been publicly engaged on the issue.
Stakeholders argue that any gains made under Umar between 2013 and 2017 have been eroded under Kida, pointing to the D'Tigresses' recent crash at a World Cup as evidence of declining performance. They want the NSC to act before the federation is plunged into another cycle of dispute that further damages the sport.
