NBBF ELECTION DISPUTE: Bakare Rejects Calls for Peace Without Justice
Oru Leonard
President of Comets Basketball Club and former D’Tigers head coach, Ayodele Bakare, has challenged calls for reconciliation following the 2026 Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), board elections, insisting that peace must not come at the expense of justice and fair play.
Bakare, who reacted to the controversy trailing the election, maintained that stakeholders who believe the electoral process was flawed should be allowed to seek redress without being subjected to condemnation or pressure to abandon their grievances.
In a strongly worded statement titled “You Shouldn’t Stop Rape Victims From Seeking Justice, Should You?”, the former national team coach used a provocative analogy to stress his position that individuals who believe they have suffered injustice should be free to pursue accountability.
“Not everybody wants peace at the cost of justice and fair play,” Bakare declared, arguing that the quest for reconciliation should not be used to silence those demanding answers about the conduct of the election.
According to him, while some stakeholders may prefer to avoid confrontation in the interest of maintaining harmony, others may consider challenging alleged irregularities necessary to prevent similar controversies in the future.
He cautioned against portraying those seeking redress as enemies of peace, stressing that disagreement over the appropriate response to an electoral dispute does not justify personal attacks or public condemnation.
“If you believe that injustice should be tolerated merely in pursuit of peace or convenience, that’s your prerogative. However, that does not give you the right to vilify or condemn those who think otherwise,” he said.
The Comets Basketball Club president also urged those advocating an end to protests and other challenges to the election outcome to respect the right of aggrieved parties to pursue the remedies available to them.
To reinforce his position, Bakare cited an ancient Chinese proverb: “Those who say it can’t be done, should not disturb those who are trying to do it!”
The controversy followed the NBBF elections, which produced Dr Mustapha Abdullahi as the federation’s new president. Abdullahi reportedly secured 40 votes after the other candidates withdrew from the race.
However, the outcome has generated debate among basketball stakeholders, with concerns raised over aspects of the electoral process and compliance with the federation’s constitution.
The disagreement has brought competing calls for accountability and reconciliation to the forefront, raising questions about how the federation can achieve unity while addressing the concerns of stakeholders who remain dissatisfied with the process.
Bakare concluded his statement with the words, “The Oracle has spoken,” reaffirming his position that demands for justice should not be dismissed in the name of peace.
His intervention adds another dimension to the ongoing debate over the federation’s leadership and the way forward for Nigerian basketball.
At the heart of the controversy is a critical question: can lasting unity within the NBBF be achieved without addressing the grievances of those who believe the electoral process deserves further scrutiny?
Source: Maxwell Kumoye
