After many months of inactivity, the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Youth and Sports has informed the Nigeria Basketball Federation that the Men’s Premier League can resume.
This follows the decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja striking out the case brought against it by the Management Board of Kwese Basketball League headed by Olumide Oyedeji and others who tried to forcefully hijack the league from the federation.
In a letter signed by Dr. Simon Ebhojiaye on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Nebeolisa Anako, the FG said “With this positive judgment, the NBBF is permitted to commence any tournament (Premier League) in the country”.
The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports in the letter noted that “On the 26th January 2021, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja struck out the above case (FHC/ABJ/CS/1317/2019) which was instituted against the NBBF and the Honorable Minister”.
In view of the latest judicial decision, the NBBF has intensified its hunt for prospective sponsors of the Men’s Premier League after Kwese withdrew from Nigeria’s business space due to financial reasons.
It would be recalled that the Kwese Management board led by Oyedeji, Chairman of Gombe Bulls, Ibrahim Sa’ad, and that of Kwara Falcons, Dr. Joseph Adeyemo brought a suit against the federation in 2018 stopping the NBBF from organizing the league.
Despite all the successes recorded by the NBBF in rejigging the domestic scene with the expansion of Zenith Women Basketball League, introduction of the Total Division 2, as well as the expansion of Division One, the injunction on the Premier League, made it impossible for the board to replicate its initiatives with the apex league.
