Benue FA candidate, Akpenpuun alleges discriminatory clause in electoral guidelines

A chairmanship aspirant in the Benue State Football Association elections, Robert Terlumun Akpenpuun has raised the alarm over what he termed as discriminatory clause in the electoral guidelines for the state.

He said the clause was inserted into the guidelines specifically to hurt his chances in the polls.

He identified the offensive clause as item “h,” which reads: “The candidate (for chairmanship) must not be in the employment of any government or its agencies or an aid to any government official.”

Akpenpuun works in the Nigerian Immigration Service and has been involved in the activities of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as a member of the protocol committee.

He alleged that the discriminatory clause was not in the guidelines used in the 2015 election, adding that he is a direct target of the ‘new’ clause.

The election into the Benue State FA is scheduled to hold on Wednesday February 13 and Akpenpuun has petitioned the NFF General Secretary, Sanusi Mohammed pointing out that even the guidelines used for the 2018 NFF election and the general electoral code is devoid of the clause inserted into the Benue State Football Association guidelines.

He also pointed out that the current chairperson, Mrs. Margaret Chene was a Federal Character Commissioner at the time of her election in 2015 and remained so till 2016.

He listed some states’ FA officers, who are either serving public officers or civil servants.

These include chairmen of Niger State FA (a deputy director), Jigawa State, (civil servant with the state’s ministry of finance) and the Gombe FA chairman, who is also the Accountant General of the state.