A member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation Col. Sam Ahmedu (retd.) has said FIBA will not ban Nigeria despite recently peace talk between the country’s two warring basketball factions ending in deadlock National Daily gathered.
The Nigeria Olympic Committee called the meeting to resolve the leadership crisis in the NBBF, which has lingered following the federation’s double board elections on June 12 and 13 in Kano and Abuja respectively.
Despite the NOC and the sports ministry backing the Abuja election won by Musa Ahmadu-Kida as the country’s basketball leader, Tijjani Umar, a two-time NBBF president, insists he remains the basketball federation’s boss, after he reportedly emerged as the winner of the Kano election National Daily learnt.
However, a letter from FIBA in July gave the country till November 30 to resolve the crisis in the NBBF or face sanctions.
In the letter, which was sent to Ahmadu-Kida and Umar, and signed by the Secretary-General of FIBA, Patrick Baumann, the world basketball body said it did not recognise both elections and called on both factions to resolve the crisis internally under the auspices of the NOC.
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The FIBA letter read in part, “In the event that a solution is not found, regardless of any sanctions, FIBA will appoint a task force that will take any appropriate measure(s) in the interests of basketball in Nigeria.
“FIBA will communicate, as of now and until November 30, 2017 solely with the persons named as board members on June 13, 2017 namely Mr. Ahmadu-Musa Kida as NBBF president and Mr. Babatunde Ogunade as vice-president using nigeriabballinfo@yahoo.com for official correspondence.”
However, with just seven days to FIBA’s deadline, it appears both parties are not ready for internal settlement, thus sparking speculation FIBA would sanction the country on November 30 National Daily learnt.