The Anambra State Football Association Electoral Committee has denied disqualifying one of the chairmanship contenders for the FA election coming up on October 30.
The committee described the rumour making the rounds that one of the chairmanship contenders, Dr. Chukwuemeka Okeke, has been disqualified, as unfounded.
The committee acknowledged that though one of the chairmanship contenders, Mr. Chikelue Iloenyosi, petitioned it, seeking disqualification of his opponent, Dr. Chukwuemeka Okeke, based on certain grounds, yet, the committee was yet to sit and deliberate on the petition before some documents started flying online, purporting that Iloenyosi was sole chairmanship candidate for the said election.
The said document circulating on the social media, which was purportedly endorsed by the committee members, claimed that Dr. Chukwuemeka F. Okeke, as of October 22, 2020, had his name appeared in serial No. 279 as NFF Licensed Football Intermediary with registration No. /01/019/083, and dated 1/02/2017, which was claimed to be against the NFF integrity initiative circular number 1.
It further claimed that Dr. Chukwuemeka F. Okeke was the chairman of Aspire Football Club, a position he should not hold as someone aspiring to the position of chairman of AnSFA.
But in a press statement by the committee secretary, Mr. Onyedika Chijioke, at the State Football House in Awka, yesterday, the committee dismissed the claims, explaining that it was yet to publish a final list of candidates for the chairmanship election; adding that appeals before it have not been concluded.
“We wish to debunk the report purportedly written by the Anambra State Football Association appeal committee. As a matter of fact, the issues before the appeal committee as regards appeals have not been concluded.
“We, therefore, dissociate ourselves from the published report flying on social media. We also wish to state that the appended signature attributed to our names were forged, and we will not hesitate to institute legal actions against the person(s) responsible,” the committee added.
They expressed shock that the report of the appeals committee was not concluded, but people were already on social media making unfounded claims.
Also, the ANSFA caretaker committee chairman, Sir Victor Nwangwu, said that he was yet to see the appeal committee report but was surprised to observe a purported document in the social media.
When contacted, Dr. Chukwuemeka Okeke said he had earlier requested NFF, in his letter dated 26th September 2020, to delist his name as players’ licensed intermediary, which he said, was obliged by the apex football governing body, before he purchased the form for the election on 12th October 2020.
He also claimed that the electoral commission had the printed copies of the intermediary committee, where it was confirmed that his name was truly delisted.
“If my opponents are talking about club owners, I want to remind them that one of the AnSFA electoral guidelines stipulates that a candidate for chairmanship position must be in the football administration for three unbroken years,” he added.
