The Publicity Secretary elect of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Apapa chapter, Chief Chima Idika has said that the Association Electoral Committee, ASECO may have made an honest mistake leading to the declaration of four (4) elective positions in the chapter executive inconclusive in an election conducted for the chapter on 20th February, 2025.
It will be recalled that the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, ANLCA, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha declared the election inconclusive following the discrepancies between the one hundred and eight (108) accredited voters and the one hundred and twenty five (125) votes cast.
However, speaking with journalists on the outcome of the election, Idika who emerged the Publicity Secretary elect of Apapa chapter in the same election explained that some highly respected members of the association in the chapter, and voters in the election who came in with the National President when accreditation was erroneously completed for voting to commenced, went straight to the high table without bothering to get themselves accredited.
He listed three (3) members of the Board of Trustees, BoT, a former National President of the association, some ANLCA Chieftains, past National Executive members who were privileged members of the Apapa chapter and who were eligible to vote, as those who voted in the election without having to go through the rigors of accreditation having been ushered immediately, on arrival, to the high table.
The Publicity Secretary elect argued that whereas the accredited voters as announced by ASECO stood at 108, all the dignitaries who arrived later with the National President and were saved the rigors of queuing to get accredited, were not added up as at the time of the announcement of the total number of accredited voters by ASECO.
He recalled that prior to the controversies that trailed the conclusion of the process, valid votes for each of the leading candidates as against their rivals were as follows: Emeka Chukwumalu – Chairmanship candidate – 78 votes; Kayode Jejeloye – Vice Chairmanship candidate – 73 votes; Rasaki Saheed – Secretary – 74 votes and Tony Anakebe – Treasurer – 69 votes.
Informing that ASECO had earlier on announced the voiding of 15 non valid votes from the contentious one hundred and twenty five (125) votes which sparked off the disagreement, Chief idika concluded that the losing candidates latched on this and clamor for suspension of the process.
He, therefore, believed that with this clear analysis, there was nothing like over voting, while appealing that the BoT and ASECO should complete the announcements of the result.
“There was no over voting. The votes were counted and we were leading. The Emeka Onyemalu already has 78 votes, even if you remove 17 votes from his votes, he will still be at 61 going by 108.
“The way forward is that the ballots have been counted, ASECO knows who won the election, even if you remove the 17 votes, ASECO already knew who won the election. So, why is it that they refused to allow ASECO to finish their job?”
Asked if ASECO decides to conduct a rerun, he said, “Whatever they say, that’s what we will do. If they do that election 20 times, we will win. If they say rerun is tomorrow, we will come out but in all sincerity, it was a concluded election but we don’t want to put the association into another legal rigmarole.”
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