Olisa Aniuno, one of the chairmanship candidates into the Anambra State Football Association, has rejected the May 3 election conducted into the board.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the election, earlier scheduled for May 4, was conducted by the Ephraim Chukwuemeka-led committee in the early hours of May 3.
Aniuno said: “I went to the screening, passed the screening, they sent me a text telling me that the screening was successful, that I am eligible to contest, that the election will take place on May 4.
“But what they did was to go to a hotel and decided that election is going on, with proxy delegates and all kinds of people there, saying that they are voting.
“And why were they rushing to be able to do a secret election that nobody knows about.
“To me, it is laughable.
“There was no election in Anambra State into the FA.
“And, we are hoping that very soon proper election will be conducted.
“But what happened was just sheer foolishness on the part of the so-called electoral committee.
“What it portends for Anambra football is total destruction of Anambra football because we had hoped that there will be a credible FA.
“I just don’t understand why people will want to visit such calamity on a state like Anambra that should be the home of Nigerian football.”
Aniuno said he was waiting for the official statement on the election and demanded that the result sheet should be made public.
He said: “I cannot support an illegality.
“As far as I am concerned, no election took place.
“So I am waiting for their official announcement of the so-called election that they did.
“And when they put it up on their website and as a candidate, they should give me the result sheet of the election that took place.
“And the committee should officially come out with their communiqué that they had an election.
“Because I was not there, I was not notified of the election.
“So what am I petitioning or what am I challenging?”
Another candidate, Obiefuna Akonam, said the election would not stand as it was a “show of shame”.
Akonam urged the NFF under the leadership of Amaju Pinnick to act honourably and ensure that Anambra State football does not further plunge into crisis as a result of flawed election process.
On his part, Ifeanyi Ubah, who was announced winner in the election, said it was a privilege and honour for him to be involved in the process.
Utah said: “It’s a step in the right direction.
“For me, and it is an honour as well to be involved in this process.
“If I don’t have the capacity to be involved in this process or be involved in this position, I wouldn’t have vied for it.”
NAN reports that going by the schedule released by the Chukwuemeka committee at a stakeholders’ meeting on April 28, screening of candidates was to be done on May 2.
The schedule also stated that pasting of qualified candidates’ list and hearing of petitions would hold on May 3, while election proper was to be conducted on May 4.
Chukwuemeka, however, told NAN that his job was to conduct election, which he executed on May 3.
He said the committee advised candidates to go to the notice board and see the name of qualified persons and other information soon after the screening.
He said the committee also urged anybody who was aggrieved to tender such grievances before the Appeals Committee.
NAN reports that the May 3 election had Ifeanyi Ubah and Jude Obikwelu as winners of the chairmanship and vice chairmanship position with 24 votes each.
NAN also reports that Anino and Akonam, also candidates for both chairman and vice chairman respectively, recorded no scores in the election.
NAN.
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