Awka – Football stakeholders in Anambra have called for due process in the conduct of elections into the Anambra State Football Association (ASFA).
The stakeholders made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Monday.
NAN reports that the stakeholders’ calls are coming at the heels of an ASFA election, which was conducted on May 3 without the participation of some candidates and delegates.
The election was originally scheduled to hold on May 4.
At the election held on May 3, Ifeanyi Ubah and Jude Obikwelu were declared winners of the chairmanship and vice chairmanship positions with 24 votes each, while Aniuno and Obiefuna Akonam, who were supposed to be candidates for the respective posts in the same election, scored nothing.
Condemnation from various quarters, including the Anambra government, trailed the May 3 election.
Hence, the state government called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to investigate the May 3 episode, which it termed “an aberration’’.
Aggrieved candidates and stakeholders were advised to tender their complaints to an Appeals Committee that was set up for that purpose
A chairmanship candidate for the ASFA election, Olisa Aniuno, told NAN that only a free and fair election would be acceptable by all.
“What we are saying is that the NFF should come to Anambra and conduct a properly constituted election.
“We have done what we are supposed to do; we have filed the petitions to all the authorities that have something to do with football.
“You cannot impose a candidate in an election that is supposed to be free and fair.
“Football is a game for the young people it is a game where you teach discipline, law and order.
“We are willing to go to court to make sure that this doesn’t happen.
“We have appealed to CAF, we have appealed to FIFA and we have appealed to NFF itself.
“We have appealed to the Sports Minister, we have gone to the National Assembly, all we are asking for is an election.
“That is not too much to ask for.’’
Aniuno expressed disappointment with the committee for the election headed by Ephraim Chukwuemeka.
“We heard about the plans to impose a candidate on Anambra FA, but we didn’t believe it because we thought we were dealing with people that had credibility.
“This is because the chairman of that normalisation committee is a man that is over 80 years old, so if we cannot trust someone that is 80 years and above then who are we going to trust.
“We thought that the man was going to do the right thing.
“Only for them to show up here on April 28, to say that they were reopening the sale of forms.
“How can you reopen the sale of forms that was already closed in July of 2015?
“And they said they came to continue where the other normalisation committee stopped and that they hadn’t come to do anything new.”
President of Ikpeazu Redoubtable FC, Onitsha, Mr Odi Ikpeazu, who spoke on behalf of more than 40 clubs, said the battle was for the protection of the integrity of football.
The lawyer and football administrator said stakeholders would not allow impunity to reign in ASFA over fear of breaching any FIFA rule being wrongly applied.
“We are not relenting in this fight we are going to fight till the end because our integrity is at stake.
“We know that FIFA has a policy, which is an injunction against taking football matters outside the realm of football.
“That does not mean that FIFA supports impunity by giving immunity to perpetrators.
“We want to let FIFA know that we abide by that injunction, in so far as justice is done and seen to be done.
“And where we are in doubt, we will test our position in the court of the land because Nigeria is a sovereign country and the courts are there to adjudicate over every dispute.
“So no international organisation, no national organisation, no court, no federation, no confederation has the power to oust the jurisdiction of the court.’’
Also, the former Vice Chairman of NFF disciplinary committee, Ikechukwu Igbokwe, said both the Federal and Anambra state governments should act on the matter.
“For an event to be called an election, it must possess certain qualities.
“One, the candidate for that election must be known; two, the electorate must be known.
“The time, venue and a specified day must be known.
“Any election that is done outside these five conditions is not an election.
“The Anambra football stakeholders say with a loud voice that they are still waiting for the NFF to come and conduct election into the various cadres of Anambra Football Association.’’
However, the chairman of the electoral committee, Chukwuemeka defended the election, saying it was in line with extant rules.
He urged all aggrieved people to appeal to the NFF for redress.
On his part, Ifeanyi Ubah, who was announced winner of the May 3 election defended his election as legitimate.
He said the committee had the prerogative to conduct the election when it deemed fit. (NAN)