Ugo Udezue re-elected South-East representative on NBBF board

Ugo Udezue has been re-elected as the South-East representative on the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), retaining his seat as the federation ushered in a new leadership following its elective congress in Abuja on Thursday.

Other zonal representatives elected to the board are Fubara Fobika for the South-South, Babatunde Ogunade for the South-West, Yusuf Surajo for the North-West, Abubakar Abba Kaka for the North-East and Abdullahi Mustafa for the North-Central. Blueprint reports

Udezue’s re-election comes alongside his emergence as NBBF vice-president, while Dr Mustapha Abdullahi was elected president of the federation for the 2026–2030 term.

Abdullahi, Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, secured 48 votes to defeat Olumide Oyedeji, who polled eight votes. Another presidential candidate, Ejike Ugboaja, scored no vote, while the vice-presidential position was unopposed.

The new leadership is expected to address key issues affecting Nigerian basketball, including grassroots development, domestic league administration, players’ welfare, infrastructure and the need to attract sustainable private-sector investment.

Zonal representation and basketball development

The six zonal representatives are expected to serve as links between the federation’s national leadership and stakeholders across their respective geopolitical zones.

Their roles are important to expanding grassroots participation, improving the organisation of local competitions and identifying emerging talents who could progress to national and professional teams.

For Udezue, retaining the South-East seat provides continuity in the representation of basketball interests in the zone, while his election as vice-president places him in a wider leadership role within the federation.

The incoming board will be expected to work with state basketball associations, clubs, coaches, referees and players to strengthen the sport’s administrative and competitive structures.

Court challenge hangs over election

The election took place amid a legal dispute over the process leading to the congress. The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday declined an application seeking to stop the NBBF elective congress but fixed November 3, 2026, for the hearing of the substantive suit challenging the legality of the extraordinary congress held in Yola, Adamawa State.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2428, was filed by former D’Tigers coach Ayodele Olaseinde Bakare against the NBBF and the National Sports Commission.

Bakare alleged that the procedure for convening the Yola congress breached the federation’s constitution, arguing that only 44 of the 50 congress members were notified of the meeting.

The court’s refusal to grant an interim order allowed the election to proceed. However, it did not amount to a final determination of the legality of the disputed congress, with the substantive case still pending.

The electoral process had also drawn complaints from presidential aspirants Olumide Oyedeji, Igoche Mark and Ejike Ugboaja, who petitioned President Bola Tinubu over alleged irregularities, including claims of changes to state representatives and delegates. Those allegations have not been established as findings of wrongdoing.

Expectations for the new board

With Abdullahi as president and Udezue as vice-president, attention will now turn to the new administration’s plans for improving domestic competitions, strengthening grassroots programmes and creating better opportunities for players.

The board is also expected to explore ways to improve facilities, support coaches and technical personnel, strengthen player welfare and attract investment into the game.

While Nigeria continues to produce talent capable of competing internationally, stakeholders have stressed the importance of building sustainable domestic structures to support that success.

The incoming leadership will therefore face the task of combining effective sports development with transparent administration and confidence-building among basketball stakeholders, as the pending court case proceeds.