Umahi Jeremiah
The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to grant an interim order restraining the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) from conducting its elective congress scheduled for Thursday and fixed November 3, 2026, for the hearing of a suit challenging the legality of the federation’s extraordinary congress in Yola, Adamawa State.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2428, was filed by Ayodele Olaseinde Bakare against the NBBF and the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Bakare is challenging the validity of the Yola congress, alleging that the process violated provisions of the NBBF Constitution.
He argued that the notice convening the congress was not issued in accordance with the constitution, claiming that neither two-thirds of Congress members nor the federation’s Board provided the required notice.
The plaintiff further alleged that only 44 of the 50 Congress members were notified of the meeting, a development he said breached constitutional provisions and denied the affected members a fair hearing.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, the court refused to issue an interim order stopping the NBBF from holding its elective congress, reportedly taking into account the proximity of the election and preparations already made, including delegates’ travel arrangements and venue bookings.
The court also considered the need to allow the defendants an opportunity to respond to the substantive claims before making any order that could disrupt the electoral process.
However, it granted an application to abridge the time for the defendants to respond to the suit, reducing the period from one month to two weeks. The court also directed that the originating processes be served on the NBBF and the NSC.
The case was subsequently adjourned until November 3, 2026, for the hearing of the substantive suit.
The court’s refusal to grant the interim order does not amount to a final determination of the legality of the disputed congress, as the substantive case remains pending.
