The power struggle rocking Nigerian basketball took a decisive turn yesterday as the Imo State Government issued a firm and public rebuke of what it described as an unauthorized attempt to speak for the state’s basketball structure.
In a strongly worded clarification signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Affairs and Sports Development, Kingsley Ogwudire, the state government dismissed a notice allegedly circulated by Mr. Kelechi Anosike under the banner of the Imo State Basketball Association, branding it misleading, invalid, and of no consequence.
At the heart of the matter is authority and who truly holds it. According to the Imo State Government, Mr. Anosike is no longer the chairman of the Imo State Basketball Association following the dissolution of the former board.
Any communication issued in that capacity, the statement stressed, lacks legitimacy and should be treated as null and void by stakeholders across the basketball ecosystem.
The clarification comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), where calls for reform and fresh elections have intensified.
Imo State made its position unmistakably clear, it stands firmly behind transparent, credible elections as the pathway to restoring order and confidence in the sport’s national leadership.
Beyond administrative technicalities, the statement took aim at what it described as attempts to intimidate or discredit coaches, professionals, and stakeholders who have spoken up or participated in reform processes.
Such actions, the government warned, do not reflect Imo State’s position and undermine the collective effort to rebuild Nigerian basketball.
