The leadership crisis rocking the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) escalated on Tuesday, as board members accused the federation’s former president of unlawfully removing two elected members without due process.
At a press briefing, stakeholders alleged that the removal of Mr. Kott — who led Nigeria to AfroBasket glory in 2023 — and Tami Gomon was carried out unilaterally, without board deliberation or referral to Congress, in violation of the federation’s constitution.
“The Federation is not a private property. Due process must be followed,” a stakeholder declared.
The controversy follows a January 9, 2026 stakeholders’ meeting involving board members, club owners and officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC), where it was agreed that the board’s tenure expired at the end of January 2026. The leadership was directed to convene Congress to begin fresh electoral processes — a directive stakeholders say was ignored.
The matter has now been escalated to FIBA, with Congress members petitioning the global body to safeguard constitutional order. The petition also seeks to enable the NSC and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to step in, while avoiding allegations of external interference.
Stakeholders insist that adherence to constitutional procedure remains non-negotiable. A response from FIBA is being awaited.
