We, the undersigned Chairmanship candidates of Fifteen out of the Eighteen Local Governments Football Councils in Ondo State firmly disassociate and resolved to pull out of the planned Local Governments Football Councils elections slated between Saturday, 26th January and Monday, 28th January, 2019 across the three geopolitical zones of Ondo State- Okitipupa, Owo and Akure based on the following grounds:
1. That the electoral process from the onset was freighted with procedural irregularities, having regard to the truism that only three days were set aside for collection and submission of candidates forms including screening and pasting of list of successful candidates that disallowed many credible people across the State from participating in the elections;
2. That the electoral guidelines statutorily prepared by the State Executive Board to guide the conduct of the Local Governments Football Councils and State Executive Board’s elections were doctored by the State FA Chairman, Otunba Dele Ajayi, the FA Secretary, Mr Daodu Alex and a Board Member, Mr Patani Samuel with a view to satisfying the whims and caprices of a particular factional group in the Association before the guidelines were handed over to the State FA Electoral Committee for implementation which is procedurally wrong and against the statutes by all standards;
3. That, the State FA Chairman, Otunba Dele Ajayi, who wrote the Electoral Committee yesterday for the removal of ‘Police’ as delegates at the Local Governments Football Council elections for not being affiliated with the NFF later reversed himself, claiming that Ondo State FA Congress has the final say on all elections matters and that NFF directive against the use Police couldn’t be honoured; and hence his strong insistence to use Police as delegates at the elections which is an aberration;
4. That, the adoption of Police to vote at Local Governments Football Councils elections was cleverly perfected and supported to give undue advantage to candidates of Dele Ajayi/Henry Akingboju group at the elections;
5. That, having being wholeheartedly pained and sufficiently frustrated by all aforementioned uncouth manipulative tendencies, we have no more faith and confidence in the ability of Otunba Dele Ajayi led administration to conduct free, fair and transparent elections based on his irritably compromised and biased postures that favour candidates of his choices;
6. That the alleged delegate list of football coaches prepared by Ondo State Chairman of Coaches Association, Mr Fabomi Micheal, who is a crony of Otunba Dele Ajayi was fraudulently distorted to the extent that the list contains some individuals not known in the Association or who are not certificated coaches and are working outside their local governments of origin with ugly intentions of helping Dele Ajayi/Henry Akungboju factional group candidates to win the elections;
7. That, it becomes absolutely imperative to point out that the alleged list of coaches singlehandedly prepared by Michael Fabomi had pitched him against majority of other State Executive members of the Coaches Association who bluntly resisted his unilateral actions and demanded the immediate recall of the delegate list to save the corporate image of the Ondo State Coaches Association;
8. That, it is preposterous, in less than sixteen hours to the commencement of the Local Governments Football Councils elections, apart the controversial delegate list of coaches that was full of flaws, list of referee, Local Governments Sports Desks Officers and the so called ‘Police’ are yet to be prepared, collated and officially released for the benefits of the candidates giving solid impressions that Ondo State FA Electoral Committee is inadequately prepared to hold credible elections across the three geopolitical zones of the State or that it could be working for the interest of certain known cabals within the Association;
9. That, the Electoral Committee had been influenced by Dele Ajayi/Henry Akingboju factional group to relocate its office and State Executive Board election’s venue from the Ondo State Sports Council’s complex with better working conditions to the very obscure Police Officers Mess, Akure, where the former appointed Vice Chairman, Pastor Henry Henry Akingboju, a Police Officer as well as a State FA Chairmanship aspirant works; an action surreptitiously meant to intimidate opponents and also to engage in illegal and impunity actions against the electoral process;
10. That, we are sufficiently aware of the public outburst and rantings of Ondo State FA Chairman, Otunba Dele Ajayi against the current NFF leadership over certain alleged financial matters that made us believe fervently that he is at cross purpose with the NFF and that he would be very adamant to comply with any directive from the NFF that could make the electoral process workable.
It is in respect of the foregoing that we humbly request for the cancellation of the Local Governments Football Councils elections across Ondo State in the interest of fair play and justice.
SIGNED:
1. Otunba Dele Ologbese- Akoko South West LG;
2. Prince Zion Ogunfeyimi- Ilaje LG;
3. Pastor Dotun Omoogun- Ifedore LG;
4. Prince Felix Ademulegun- Odigbo LG;
5. Mr Agunbiade Ismaila- Ileoluji/Okeigbo LG;
6. Hon. Iwalewa Afolabi- Irele LG;
7. Alhaji Tijani Tajudeen -Idanre LG;
8. Mr Ogunlade Yomi- Akure South LG;
9. Mr Fadoju Moses- Ondo East LG;
10. Mr Fadojutimi Folasele-Ondo West LG;
11. Mr Akin Olowookere- Akoko South East LG;
12. Mr Saporu Olumide- Ose LG;
13. Mr Oloye Ayorinde- Akoko North West LG;
14. Mr Tiamiyu Mohammed- Akoko North East LG;
15. Mr Sunday Oduola Ijanawo -Owo LG.
