…As Farinto pledges to congratulate Oyinlola if he wins
The Vice President of Odua Maritime Forum, Mr. Akintoye Ojo Peter has said that the forum has not endorsed any candidate for the elections coming up in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) or in any other association in the maritime industry as being speculated in some sections of the media.
It will be recalled that a contender for the office of Vice President of ANLCA, Prince Kayode Oyinlola had earlier told one of the maritime industry based newspapers that the forum has endorsed him for the position.
However, speaking to journalists in Lagos, Mr. Peter denied any knowledge of such endorsement adding that the person in question is yet to formally inform the forum of his intention to contest the said position.
He insisted that all Yorubas contesting for various positions in ANLCA or in any other association were their kith and kin; therefore it would be wrong to endorse one against the other adding that that would amount to hypocrisy.
According to him,” In my capacity as the Vice President of Odua Maritime Forum, if anything of that nature should happen, it should be to my notice also and I am debunking that information, that to the best of my knowledge, I didn’t know of such endorsement.
“Every Yoruba contestant in ANLCA is subject to Odua Maritime Forum’s executive approval and all of them contesting for now, we know them as our members, our brothers, our sons and our daughters, so, I don’t know because I am not part of the meeting and I am saying it loud and clear that there is no consensus candidate of Odua, Odua has no consensus candidate for now.
“We are aware as rumour too, except for Kayode Farinto who has come to us and wrote an official letter that he is coming out as the Vice President of ANLCA, every other association as far as the Western zone is concern where Yoruba practitioners are contesting election in any association are under the Odua Maritime Forum.
“So, I am debunking that rumour that Odua has not endorsed anybody, so, if anybody gives you that rumour, say that I Akintoye Ojo Peter said that it is a total wrong information and wrong perspective”.
Odua Maritime Forum is an umbrella body of all the Yoruba indigenes operating in the nation’s maritime industry.
Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Dr. KAyode Farinto has said that he is not afraid of facing Prince Kayode Oyinlola in the contest for the office of the Vice President of the association in the coming election.
Farinto who disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent said that the election is for the electorates to decide who they want between him and Oyinlola even as he added that he would willingly congratulate Oyinlola if he wins much as he expects Oyinlola to congratulate him if he wins the election.
“The electorates will judge, if I am a better candidate, I will be elected, if he is the right candidate, he will be elected. The most important thing is that after the election, if he wins, I will congratulate him, if I win, he should congratulate me”, Farinto submitted.
When reminded of Prince Oyinlola’s boast of beating him again the same manner he beat him in his (Farinto’s) second term bid for the Chairmanship position of the Tincan Island chapter of the association, he enthused,” Let me use World Cup as an example for you. Brazil won world Cup about seven years ago, the next World Cup, when they came, what happened? They lost the cup to the underdog. When we reach the bridge, we shall cross it, the electorates will decide who they want but what I know is that, this contest that we are going into, I am not afraid of anybody”.
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