Posted by By Innocent Anaba on
The Balogun Business Association (BBA), an umbrella body of traders at the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, has conducted election into the executives council of the association. The election which began on July 25, 2005 was concluded on July 28.
The Balogun Business Association (BBA), an umbrella body of traders at the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, has conducted election into the executives council of the association. The election which began on July 25, 2005 was concluded on July 28.
Meanwhile, the association has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to dismiss the suit by some members of the association, who had sought to stop the election.
A group of members including Dunu Anselm, Okey Ozukwu, Felix Orakwue and Callitus Offor had asked the court to stop the conduct of the election. But another group made up of Tony Akanegbu, Chief Simeon Onyeka, Uba Amechi, Celetine Okafor, Chief Godwin Ogunwa, Ifeanyi Omenife, Elias Okeke and Emmanuel Otunabo, who are the counter-claimants and who had sued on behalf of themselves and the association, have asked the court to restrain the plaintiffs from interfering in the management of the association in whatsoever way.
According to counsel to the counter-claimants, Nwabu Okoye, "all the plaintiffs are candidates in the election of the association, who duly submitted their nomination forms to the association's electoral panel and were vigorously carrying our their campaign until July 19, 2005 when they (plaintiffs) hatched a plan to disrupt the said election because of their fear that they will loss woefully in the said election and thereafter instituted the present suit."
He averred further in an affidavit in support of the motion that "the generality of the members of the association who the counter claimants represent, as well as the electoral panel of the association were vehemently opposed to the late hour or any disruption or postponement of the of the election, because of the incalculable harm such disruption or postponement will do to the arrangement of the traders to ex fill a vacuum in their leadership and huge amount of time as well as monetary expended by the association and candidates in preparing for the election".
He further averred that "any disruption or postponement of the said election could lead to demonstration in the market by frustrated members of the association and which will be exploited by hoodlums to cause unrest and unleash mayhem."