Mathews Opwora supports Sports Registrar for rejecting new AFC Leopardsâ€™ officials

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Ex-Ingwe chairman welcomes the move not to register new office bearers and calls for members to move fast and get a solution

Mathews Opwora has hailed the decision by Sports Registrar not to recognise the newly elected AFC Leopards office headed by Dan Shikanda.

Sports Registrar Rose Wasike confirmed on Friday in a letter obtained by Goal the elections which ushered in the new officials were not conducted in a manner which respected the law and therefore, ordered the club to conduct fresh polls.

During the June 23 exercise, Dan Shikanda was elected the new club chairman whereas Oliver Sikuku was voted in as the secretary general while Maurice Chichi clinched the treasurer's post.

Opwora, who once led the team as the chairman, is now asking for the club members to follow the Registrarâ€™s order to avoid further punishment that could derail the club's ambitions to win trophies in the new season.

â€œWe should be people who respect the law and we need to follow it to the letter and the decision by the Sports Registrar is very welcomed,â€ Opwora told Goal after the ruling from the Registrar.

â€œWe cannot hide, nor run away and as a matter of fact, we must go by the orders from the Registrar if we want to save this great club from sinking to oblivion. Members should come together for once and agree on new dates for elections because that is what the registrar wants.â€

Opwora further said it was unfortunate the current issues on club management are coming at a time when the team should be preparing for the upcoming Kenyan Premier League (KPL) season which will kick off on August 31.

â€œThe team should by now be in pre-season training but with such unending issues on who is the boss, nothing is happening and will end up affecting the teamâ€™s performance come the new season,â€ Opwora continued.

â€œWe are yet to sign even a single player and that is not a good thing whereas our rivals {Gor Mahia} have already signed over ten players. We need to wake up now and realise that we donâ€™t have time.â€

In her ruling, Wasike maintained the club can only be eligible to set a new date for the elections after 28 days have elapsed.

"I hereby reject the election returns and decline to register the newly elected officials of AFC Leopards and request AFC Leopards to issue a fresh notice of twenty-eight days (28) days for a repeat of elections to my office, the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage and its club members," Wekesa said in a statement seen by Goal.

During the elections that have now been rejected, Shikanda garnered 456 votes to beat second-placed Ben Musundi who got 165 votes. Ronald Namai came third, with 72 votes in the chairman's race.

2019-07-05 18:00:03

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