Former D’Tigers coach and Comets Basketball Club owner, Ayodele Bakare, has called for a facts-based assessment of Olumide Oyedeji’s record as attention intensifies ahead of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) presidential election.

 Bakare, reacting to comments by Coach Eleniyan on Oyedeji’s basketball journey, said the former Nigeria international’s record should be assessed based on his individual responsibilities, documented achievements and specific contributions, rather than his association with previous NBBF administrations.

 According to Bakare, Oyedeji has spent more than two decades contributing to Nigerian basketball in various capacities, from his playing career to administration, grassroots development and youth empowerment.

 He noted that Oyedeji’s experience spans domestic league basketball and Nigeria’s national teams at various age-grade levels, as well as appearances at the World Cup and Olympic Games. His administrative experience, Bakare added, includes involvement with state basketball associations, the NBBF, the Nigeria Olympic Committee and international basketball structures.

 Bakare also highlighted Oyedeji’s long-running grassroots initiatives, including basketball camps held in Kano, Jos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Osogbo, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Abeokuta, Akure and Lagos.

 Other programmes cited include the Rising Stars Basketball Championship, National Intercollegiate Basketball Championship and Hoops & Read Basketball Club.

 His club involvement was also referenced, particularly his association with Dolphins Basketball Club, which won the 2025/2026 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League.

 However, Bakare stressed that Oyedeji’s extensive basketball record should not exempt him from scrutiny.

 Quoting Coach Eleniyan, the statement said: “Nobody is saying that Mr. Olumide Oyedeji’s playing career should shield him from scrutiny. It should not.”

 The statement argued that scrutiny should instead focus on personal responsibility, rather than automatically attributing every decision taken by an administration to all members of its board.

 Oyedeji was part of the NBBF leadership structure during the 2017 crisis and later served as the South-West representative on the board elected in 2022.

 Bakare therefore argued that his participation in those administrations should lead to specific questions about the responsibilities assigned to him, the decisions he was authorised to make, the decisions he personally took and the outcomes of those responsibilities.

 Among the initiatives attributed to Oyedeji during his tenure as League Chairman were measures relating to player welfare, salary payments, scheduling and improved recovery periods for teams.

 His tenure was also associated with welfare and professional considerations for referees, statisticians and match commissioners, as well as sponsorship initiatives involving Peak and the All-Star Games.

 Bakare further cited the expansion of the women’s league into five phases in Abuja, Kaduna, Asaba, Ibadan and Lagos, involving 18 teams. He also referenced the Kwese Elite Future Camp, which brought experienced and emerging coaches together.

 “Whether one agrees with every decision made during those years or not, these are specific initiatives that can be examined, verified and debated,” the statement said.

 Bakare maintained that the same standard should apply to Oyedeji’s involvement in the Musa Kida-led administration, arguing that board membership alone should not amount to personal responsibility for every decision or controversy associated with an administration.

 “If someone has evidence that Mr. Oyedeji personally made a particular decision, mishandled a particular responsibility, or was personally responsible for a particular failure, then let that evidence be presented and examined,” the statement added.

 Bakare said the principle should apply equally to all aspirants seeking to lead Nigerian basketball.

 He called for every candidate to face the same level of scrutiny, with delegates and stakeholders given the opportunity to examine their documented records, experience, responsibilities and proposed plans for the sport.

 The debate comes as attention increasingly shifts to the forthcoming NBBF leadership contest, with the federation’s administration and future direction expected to remain key issues among stakeholders.

 Bakare’s position is that the debate should be anchored on verifiable records and individual accountability rather than collective blame.

 As Coach Eleniyan put it: “Ask the questions. Demand the evidence. Examine the record.”

 The statement added that Nigerian basketball stakeholders should ultimately be allowed to assess the available evidence and make their own informed decisions.