By Tosin Adesile
The Vanguard for Justice and Peace (VJP), a body comprising landlords and tenants of the University of Lagos Magodo Residents Association (UMRA), has called for a fresh election to resolve the crisis over the leadership of UMRA.
The group, which rejected the association’s general election conducted by the Electoral Committee (EC) on November 30, 2024, described it as a sham designed to force a clique of questionable people on the residents.
Sparklight news gathered that crisis began following the disqualification of Alhaji Adebayo Ali, an incumbent chairman who was seeking re-election. It was learnt that Mr Ali was disqualified during the counting of votes on the election day over the petition that he campaigned in his address to the AGM. However, another chairmanship contestant, Alhaji Wole Sowole, whose votes were counted, got 81 votes out of 179 accredited voters.
In a statement obtained by Sparklight news on Saturday, February 15, the VJP asserted that the injustice visited on the electorate by the disqualification of Ali and the annulment of the votes cast for him amounts to a flagrant violation of members’ rights and an imposition of a minority over a majority.
The statement jointly signed by Prof. Claudius Awosope, Prof. Christian Ezeigbo, Prof. Kayode Oguntuashe, Emeritus Prof. Olukayode Amund, Mr. Daniel Omotilewa Esq, Mrs. Patience Ohiomoba, Mrs. Deyosola Agbenohevi and Mr. Frederick Emelerata recounted that VJP wrote a petition and forwarded it to the Conflict Resolution Committee, a standing body of the Constitution of UMRA.
“This body was unable to function because it claimed that out of the 7 members specified by the constitution, only 5 were on ground! It then suggested that the Elders Forum (EF) be contacted to handle the petition. Vanguard for Justice and Peace then re-directed its petition to the EF which foot-dragged deliberately from December 20, 2024, to January 15, 2025, when we were forced to approach Ikosi-Isheri LCDA for an amicable resolution,” the statement read.
“The composition of the EF is a matter of extreme interest, comprising former Chairmen and Secretaries of UMRA and 4 others, nominated by the Executive Committee. One of them is a former chairman censured in the CCTV scandal. Another is the current General Secretary, whose husband is a member of the EC and superintended the election of his wife into office. Yet, another is a Nonagenarian who swore publicly that “Ali must go” because he installed him as chairman, but Ali didn’t listen to him any longer.
“Now, those who benefited from the stolen election are claiming that the LCDA has no jurisdiction over UMRA. They may be right, but it is noteworthy that they wrote to the same LCDA on Jan 7, 2025, to introduce themselves as the “newly elected UMRA Exco”, one whole week before Vanguard sent its petition to the same body and without the courtesy of being introduced by the former Chairman.
“It is also very important to know that those who are beneficiaries of the stolen election have taken “dirty, criminal steps” to steal their way into the accounts of the Estate at First Bank, Ojodu branch. In this nefarious act, carried out in Jan 2025, they connived and went along with a former Vice-chairman who had resigned his position since November 30, 2024, to change the signatories to the account at the bank.
“This singular action reveals the character of the motley group clamouring to force its way into power in our dear Estate.”
The group added that, “We believe that Ikosi-Isheri LCDA has a constitutional right to mediate the crisis. It has taken the right approach to Justice and Peace by cancelling the sham elections and directing that the accounts of the Estate should not be debited as from February 10, 2025.
“The resolution of this crisis by Ikosi-Isheri LCDA offers a golden opportunity for us to cleanse our house by organising a proper election using the expertise of members who are experienced in election matters
and electing into office men and women who are committed, not to the personal interests of some godfathers but the overall interests of members of UMRA. Thereafter, we would commission a complete review of our constitution and re-organize the electioneering machinery of the Estate.”
