Abdullahi Elected NBBF President As Igoche Mark Withdraws From Race

Dr Mustapha Abdullahi has been elected President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), succeeding Engineer Ahmadu Musa Kida, whose tenure began in 2017.

Abdullahi’s emergence at the elective congress followed the disqualification or withdrawal of several other presidential contenders, including Igoche Mark, who pulled out of the race over what he described as a lack of fairness and credibility in the electoral process.

Ugo Udezue was elected Vice President after earlier securing re-election as the South-East representative on the federation’s board.

Other zonal representatives elected to the board are Fubara Fobika (South-South), Babatunde Oguntade (South-West), Yusuf Surajo (North-East), Abubakar Abba Kaka (North-West) and Abdullahi Mustafa (North-Central).

Mark, founder of the Mark D’Ball Basketball Championship and owner of Mark Mentors Basketball Club, announced his withdrawal in a statement on Tuesday, October 14, 2026, questioning whether the process provided a level playing field for all aspirants.

He said his ambition had been driven by a desire to develop grassroots basketball, improve the domestic league, create opportunities for players and coaches, and strengthen the administration of the game in Nigeria.

‘While the process may have been free, it has not been sufficiently fair and credible to guarantee a genuinely level playing field for all contestants,’ Mark said.

He described his withdrawal as a matter of principle rather than an abandonment of his commitment to Nigerian basketball, warning that the challenges confronting the sport would persist without fairness, transparency, accountability and meaningful stakeholder participation.

‘If we want to conduct an election, let us conduct an election. But if we do not want an election, then we should be honest enough to admit that we want a selection,’ he said.

Mark insisted that a genuine election must allow qualified contestants a fair opportunity to compete and stakeholders to freely choose their preferred leader.

Despite stepping aside, he pledged to continue supporting initiatives aimed at developing young players, strengthening basketball structures and restoring confidence in the sport’s administration.

Meanwhile, outgoing president Kida expressed satisfaction with the achievements recorded during his tenure, saying he was leaving office proud of his administration’s accomplishments.

Speaking at the elective congress, Kida acknowledged the progress made under his leadership and urged the incoming administration to sustain the gains and build on the existing foundation.

His departure marks the end of a nine-year period at the helm of the federation and the beginning of a new chapter under Abdullahi’s leadership.