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By Dickson Okafor
Scores of members of the Balogun Business Association (BBA), comprising leaders and stakeholders, protested against the refusal of the outgoing president of the association, Chief Oscar Odogwu, to fix a date for the association to elect a new executive.
Chief Odogwu was expected to fix a date for election at a press conference on Monday, but he was alleged to have put everything on hold, leading to the protest by some aggrieved members, particularly aspirants and their supporters.
The protesters alleged that Odogwu and his executive members, whose tenure is expected to expire on November 22, want to remain in office beyond the date
Addressing journalists on behalf of the aggrieved traders and members, one of the presidential aspirants, Emma Otunabo, said they embarked on the peaceful protest to express their displeasure about the refusal of the outgoing president and his executive to hand over to the electoral council that will fix the date for the election and how it will be conducted.
He lamented that the planned election on November 17 has no foundation as the association’s constitution is clear on how elections should be conducted.
He expressed shock that Odogwu, who no longer had the authority to sit on the position following a series of court cases, is the same person drawing up a time table which he alleged did not follow due process.
Otunabo insisted that in order not to have a breakdown of law and order in BBA, the issue of election should be put on hold pending when the constitution and other factors that adhere to it are duly attended to, warning that any election conducted by the outgoing executive would be unlawful and illegitimate.
He expressed grief and disappointment that while the body of one of the founders of BBA, Chief Okay Ezibe is lying in the morgue, the President and his executive were plotting to conduct an illegal election; a move he said was morally wrong and unjustified.
He said: “It is an aberration for Chief Odogwu and his cohort to be plotting to conduct election while the body of our founder, Chief Okay Ezibe is lying in the morgue.”
Another presidential aspirant, Chief Alex Obi Odunukwe, condemned what Odogwu and the executive council were trying to do.
He said the executive council did not inform them that an election was going to take place. He said they saw a time table on the notice board a few days ago that the election was going to be held on November 17 without their consent. “That’s why we are protesting. The election should be put on hold. That is why we refused to buy the expression of interest form,” he said.
He revealed that the initial arrangement reached by both Odogwu’s lawyers and that of the other faction was to meet to decide on the date the election should be held in February next year, but the lawyer to the outgoing president did not turn up.
Odunukwe said all Odogwu is doing is to conduct an illegal election to remain in office at the expiration of his tenure on November 22.
He said BBA’s constitution stipulates that before the expiration of office of the president and his executive, they should appoint a Caretaker Committee to conduct the election.
Members of the association resolved among others that, “That the abuse is seen in the non dissolution of the current Executive Council two months to the end of the administration, and there is illegal appointment of the electoral panel which constitutionally should be done by the Caretaker Committee at the General Assembly.
“Accordingly, we are also asking that since the current administration is due to end on November 22, 2026, the current Executive Council shall be dissolved on the same day with a Caretaker Committee taking over. That the Caretaker Committee shall see to the conduct of BBA election within two months.
“Also, we are disturbed by the rising number of armed thugs/cultists in the market complex which is not in line with the BBA Constitution. This ugly development can lead to breakdown of law and order or even loss of lives if not well handled.
“We, therefore, call on the executive council to caution against banditry in the complex to avoid breakdown of law and order as happened a few months ago.”
