Crisis stalls Nkpor spare parts market association’s elections
The elections of executives into various offices of Nkpor Auto Spare Parts Market, Idemili North local government area of Anambra state ended in serious crisis, resulting in its postponement.
The market is one of the largest spare parts market in the state, while ASMATA is the parent body of all markets associations in the state.
According to an eye witness, the election was disrupted following desperate efforts by interest groups and the various contestants who wanted the election to go their way.
Also some people accused the president of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA), Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbaru of using his thugs to disrupt the election.
Ekwegbalu, who postponed the election indefinitely, said he had to do so in order to save lives and protect the market.
The president said that it was not proper to use soldiers in the conduct of market association’s election in the state.
According him, the allegation that he stormed the venue with over 300 men and disrupted the election was not tenable, saying that those people who came with him were not thugs but members of union’s taskforce, who were there to maintain peace.
“The over 300 men who came with me were ASMATA’s taskforce men that were there to help to provide security. I had to postpone the election because I did not see the reason why soldiers should be within the arena of the election,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anambra state lawmaker representing Oyi constituency, at the state House of Assembly, Hon. Charles Obimma, has alleged that the president invaded and disrupted the conduct of election.
He said the suspected thugs were believed to be in the payroll of ASMATA.
Obimma, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Trade, Commerce, Industry, Markets and Wealth Creation, described the action of the president as most unfortunate.
According to him, ASMATA has no business with the conduct of the election, insisting that the president must be summoned to the house to ensure that proper things are done.
“What happened is completely wrong, the ASMATA President should not come with such large number of miscreants to provide security as he claimed.
“We condemn, in its entirety, the action of the ASMATA President. We’ll summon him and make sure the election is properly taken care of. Internal democracy of the market must take place.
“Traders should be allowed to conduct their elections and ASMATA and whoever that wants to witness the conduct of the election must come as an observer.
“ASMATA has no business with the conduct of the election of Nkpor spare parts market and it is unfortunately that we were not notified of the election as House Committee on Trade, Markets, Industry and Wealth Creation, we are supposed to be notified.”he added.