The Presidential Candidate of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Dr. Ofonimeh Inyang had denied being a party to the 7th March,2020 elections of the Association held in Abuja and the proposed 28th March elections that would take place in Markurdi.
He added that what was paramount was to resolve the internal crisis rocking the Association as well as conducting a proper elections where all parties involved would be duly notified.
In a press briefing over the weekend in his office at the University of Uyo Town Campus, Dr. Inyang allayed fears by his supporters that he had backed out of the race, stressing that at no point had he withdrawn from the contest nor participated in the purported elections in Abuja.
According to him, “I am still in the race, I want my teeming supporters in ANA to know that I’m yet to be consulted by the usual, formal processes of connecting and contacting people in ANA election. No one has ever contacted me of any election which I am one of the candidates.
“We are waiting, thinking that members will see reasons to come together to validate the processes we started in Enugu, that would be the legitimate thing to do. I want my teeming supporters to remain calm until some of these matters are sorted out effectively.”
He said even though another faction in the Association had countered in a press release the elections held in Abuja on 7th of March and had set aside March 28th for another election, yet the processes followed by the two factions are not legitimate, hence he and other delegates from Akwa Ibom State can never be a party to such sham until due process is being followed.
He therefore condemned the idea of varying groups proposing different elections without recourse to settling the crisis in the body.
“Yes after the election in Abuja, a Press release was issued condemning and banning the participants of the election. I learnt that I was elected to occupy the office of an ex-officio in an election I never participated and never approved of. The release even went ahead to stipulate march 28 as a date for another election at Markurdi.
,”I want to unequivocally say that i did not and would not endorse both the elections held in Abuja and that to be held in Markurdi since they did not follow a due process. I am a participant in the electoral process, and i should be formally and properly informed about the election.
“Akwa Ibom state has duly registered members but they were disenfranchised, imagine the publicity secretary in our chapter was not allowed to vote in Enugu. If the crisis is resolved. We know how to mobilize our members and go to the polls.
Dr.Inyang who expressed optimism that ANA would come out of the crisis stronger and better hinted that he had widely consulted revered professors and other members of the Association on how to come to a round table and nip on the bud of the crisis ravaging it.
Inyang, a two term General Secretary of the Association added that in case any faction goes ahead to conduct election without following a due process and install unpopular leader, that as a law abiding citizen, he would tackle the issue in a legitimate means.
“I am a law abiding citizen of Nigeria,as well as a conscious member of the Association. In case that happens, I will go through the right channel of the law. The moment ANA resolves its crisis and decides to conduct due election, Akwa Ibom state branch knows how to conduct and organize themselves, but the truth is that we are not part of both the conducted elections in Abuja and the Markurdi elections around the corner.” He noted
