By Peter Anosike
Comrade Jerry Dimaka has been elected the new president of Article Dealers Association, Lagos, Badagry Expressway, opposite Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
The election came after 17 years of Mike Elendu as president.
Comrade Dimata as a member of the Board of Trustees has been in the fore-front of Elendu –must-go protest in the market, which materialized in the conduction of the election.
Speaking before the election, the Chairman of the Market Electoral Commission, Prince Alexander Ezeobi said that for the purpose of transparency, they have decided for Option A4, which meant voters lining behind their preferred candidates.
He said that they made sure that every loophole, which would result in bickering during the election was covered.
“The voting system that we are going to use is Option A4.When we were inaugurated, we promised that we are going to conduct free, fair, credible and transparent election. We promised that we will conduct an election that everybody in the market will be proud of and it is going to happen today,” Prince Ezeobi said.
At the end of the election, Dimata was elected president, while Mrs Atuka Rejoice and Mrs Amaka Okoro were elected vice president and general secretary respectively.
In his acceptance speech, Dimata said that he had mixed feelinsg over his victory.
His reason, he said was because the decay in the market is overwhelming.
He said that for more than a decade now, infrastructure are not being maintained or rehabilitated in the market.
However, he said that as a leader, he knew that he was elected to solve problems and now to make complaints.
He expressed optimism that transformation has begun in the market and there would be no going back.
The president-elect said that he would start with reconciling the warring factions in the market.
His words: “My mission is first of all to bring all the warring factions together because without peace we cannot move forward. My administration will be an administration of reconciliation. I want to thank the traders for the confidence that they have reposed on me and I promise not to disappoint them.”
In her contribution, the vice president-elect, Mrs Atuka expressed gratitude to the traders for their overwhelming support to her aspiration.