ANLCA Tin Can Elections Crisis:

Even as the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is warming up to conduct elections into its Tin Can Island Chapter, Ikorodu and Idi-Iroko chapters, member at the Tin Can Chapter have accused the Association Electoral Commission (ASECO) led by Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila and the Western Zone Coordinator, ‎Sir John Ofobike of plans to rig the elections.
An executive of the Tin Can Chapter who pleaded anonymity told ShippingPosition Daily last week that Ofobike had written a letter to ASECO, asking it to re-open the sale of forms in order to accommodate a fresh chairmanship candidate, Chief Achike Molokwu.
It would be noted that sale of forms had closed last week Tuesday, 3rd of May 2016.
Other members of the chapter who called our correspondent on phone also lamented that the national headquarters was‎ trying to rig the Tin Can Chapter elections to favour an anointed candidate.
‎”The sale of forms ended on Tuesday, only for us to hear that somebody is coming out as Chairman again and that Ofobike and others were writing letters to ASECO to sell the forms for him. And these people know very well that a timetable was released by ASECO that sale of forms was supposed to have closed on the 3rd of May‎” a source told our correspondent.
While confirming the development to our correspondent, Sir John Ofobike said that it was true he wrote a letter of appeal to ASECO on behalf of candidate; Chief Achike Molokwu.
He however said that the letter was not a mandate to ASECO, but just an appeal which he said should be extended to both Ikorodu and Idi-Iroko chapters. He affirmed that Chief M‎olokwu is never his anointed candidate for the Tin Can elections.
According to the Western Zone Coordinator, ‎Chief Molokwu had been bereaved and was in his home town when the sale of forms closed.
“I am the Zonal Coordinator in the West in terms of sea and border, I am not zonal coordinator to ethnic groups, a member could not meet up the time of buying the form, he lost somebody in the village and he was in the village for the past two weeks, when he came back the form had closed; the form closed on 3rd of May, the man wrote on the 4th of May that I should use my good office to appeal to ASECO”, he explained.
He however stated that the letter is “not a mandate to ASECO, just that they should extend the time; even if it is for a day or for two hours to enable him pick the form, this was what was written in the letter given to me as Zonal Coordinator”
“It ‎is within my purview to now appeal to ASECO to extend the date for people to pick forms, not only for him, but other chapters like Ikorodu, Idi Iroko” he said.
Ofobike said he was not aware if the ASECO has accepted or denied the request. He also said that this is not the first time he was writing such letters to the electoral body.
“The election that disqualified Farinto was the same that disqualified Dada Agubuzo at Airport, but the same could have disqualified my candidate at Apapa Port (Olumide Fakanlu) who has served me for eight years with his heart without betraying me”
“I was made to pay N6million for no reason, if not, my candidate would have been disqualified” he said.
Shipping Position Daily learnt that the letter was written by the Zonal Coordinator on 5th of May. It was copied to the National President and other senior officers of the association.
However, Chairman of ASECO; Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila confirmed to our correspondent that the body has received the letter from the Zonal Coordinator and that the letter is currently being deliberated upon.
He said there was no plan by his committee to rig the elections at the Tin Can chapter.
“ASECO is a committee and we are meeting on the request made by the Western Zone Coordinator, there are procedures‎ in handling such matters”
“In every contest there is always a winner and a looser, what is important is the process that led to the final delivery of the electoral process”
“There is a very clear process, I wouldn’t say we are rigging or not, we have a laid down the election guideline which I would advise you lay your hands on” Mukaila stated.