There was drama and vote-buying allegations on Friday at the Pastoral and Retreat Centre Okpuno, Awka, Anambra State venue of the Anambra State FA election, as the controversial polls failed to produce a chairman, Anaedoonline.ng reports.
Emeka Okeke, one of the candidates for the chairmanship position, was disqualified minutes before the election in contentious circumstances, while former Super Eagles defender Chikelue Iloenyosi, who then emerged the sole contestant for the post, was voted out by the delegates.
It’s the second time in less than three months that the Anambra FA would be embroiled in election controversy after the Nigeria Football Federation annulled the August 2 election that returned then incumbent chairman Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
Okeke was reportedly barred from contesting by the electoral committee after the appeals committee alleged he was instrumental to the registration of 15 delegates for the election, as well as being a players intermediary registered with the NFF.
However, Iloenyosi, the sole contender, managed only one vote out of 20, thus failing to earn the ‘simple majority’ votes to become Chairman of the Anambra State FA.
A furious Iloenyosi described the polls as “fraud” insisting the 19 votes against him were “null and void.”
“The election on Friday in Anambra is what you call fraud,” Iloenyosi told newsmen.
“The votes against me are null and void. The delegates were paid to vote. They conspired among themselves because they don’t want Anambra to play football. I have written to the appeals committee because I won’t take it easy with them.
“I will take the matter to the NFF and CAS if there’s no resolution. They want to impose their candidate in another election. There can’t be another election.”
But former Super Falcons midfielder, Maureen Mmadu, an observer at the polls, said Friday’s election was free and fair.
She said, “We need to respect the rules of the election which says that even as a sole contestant, a majority vote must still be passed.
“And he (Iloenyosi) had just one vote, which was not enough. From what I saw today (Friday), I can say it was a free and fair election. The people of Anambra have spoken.”
In the other elections, Victor Aniekwena was elected the vice chairman of the Anambra FA board after polling 20 votes against Chinedu Okoye, who had none, while Oliver Ndigwe, Ralph George and Cordelia Akanna were elected as the ANSFA board members.
Aniekwena will act as chairman of the football body before a bye-election for the chairmanship position at a date yet to be announced.
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