Director-general of the Nationwide Sports activities Fee (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has charged board participants, officers, group of workers and stakeholders of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to peacefully search authentic reconciliation.
Sports247 experiences that Olopade used to be talking towards the backdrop of remaining week’s election that ushered in Dr Abdullahi Mustapha as NBBF’s new president, however Nigeria’s main basketball administrator, Colonel Sam Ahmedu (retired) used to be sidelined within the scheme of items.
Whilst two ex-internationals – Olumide Oyedeji and Ejike Ugboaja – have additionally raised objections in regards to the election’s consequence, Olopade spoke particularly about Ahmedu’s factor, particularly after the retired army officer used to be recognised by means of basketball’s international frame, FIBA.
Olopade welcomed the global frame’s place that Ahmedu will have to now not be blocked from serving at the NBBF’s new board, as showed in a letter dated October nineteenth, 2026, and addressed to Dr Mustapha from FIBA’s secretary-general, Andreas Zagklis.
The scribe showed that Ahmedu has been a member of FIBA’s associate our bodies since 1997, thereby making him Nigeria’s longest serving administrator inside the global basketball construction, which put to leisure Olopade’s fear over his absence from NBBF’s election.
Whilst calling for peace throughout all ranges of Nigerian Basketball, Olopade stated FIBA’s letter buttressed the worries he raised all through the NBBF’s optional congress in Abuja, in regards to the want to recognise Ahmedu’s a few years of carrier to the sport of giants.
Olopade retorted, “Everybody who attended the optional congress in Abuja will recall that I for my part puzzled why Colonel Sam Ahmedu used to be now not known as a part of the electoral procedure. I additionally made my reservations recognized to the speedy previous NBBF President, Engineer Musa Kida.
“If we should see authentic reconciliations by means of preaching peace, then equity, fairness and transparency should information our movements always. Those are elementary ideas that the Fee upholds in its power to toughen sports activities management in Nigeria.
“Basketball is one among our key sports activities, and we imagine this construction will additional toughen the credibility of the brand new NBBF board and place it to concentrate on the actual process of creating the sport, making improvements to its constructions and developing higher alternatives for Nigerian avid gamers.”
Sports247 experiences additional that Olopade extensively utilized the chance to restate the NSC’s dedication to peace, equity, responsibility and efficient governance in all federations, with a verdict that inclusive management is important for sustainable construction within the nation.