Former D’Tigers player and Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) presidential candidate Ejike Ugboaja has condemned the electoral process that produced Dr Mustapha Abdullahi as the federation’s new president, describing the exercise as an embarrassment and questioning its credibility.
Ugboaja, who walked out of the election venue while voting was still underway, alleged that the process lacked transparency and accused the organisers of restricting media access.
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“The election wasn’t an election. It’s an embarrassment to me because this is my first time contesting for Nigerian Basketball Federation, and from what I have seen, that election is not credible,” Ugboaja declared.
He questioned why journalists were reportedly asked to leave the voting hall, alleging that the decision undermined public confidence in the exercise.
“Why are you hiding? Why would you tell everybody to get out of the hall when you know the media is supposed to pass the news to everybody?” he asked.
Ugboaja further alleged that the organisers proposed allowing only one camera inside the venue, a decision he interpreted as evidence of inadequate transparency.
“If you know you want to do this thing, why not just tell us not to even participate in this? We’re wasting our time,” he stated.
The former international also questioned Abdullahi’s suitability for the presidency, arguing that his responsibilities as Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria should remain his priority.
“I think he has the capacity to be DG Energy Commission, not basketball,” Ugboaja said.
“He should focus on doing DG.”
Ugboaja maintained that Nigerian basketball needed leadership with a strong connection to the sport, while criticising the possibility of combining demanding public responsibilities with federation administration.
“Now we basketball players, let’s figure this out,” he urged.
His allegations come amid renewed scrutiny of the NBBF’s leadership transition following Thursday’s presidential election.
Ugboaja’s claims remain allegations, and the reported restrictions on media access do not independently establish electoral misconduct. The newly elected president and electoral committee have not been heard in this report.
