It Gets Uglier at AFC as Fresh Details Emerge of Illegality of EMG Constitution

More woes expected for Kenya Premier League side AFC Leopards after former striker Boniface Ambani drags them to court after he was locked from contesting the club’s chairmanship as fresh details of the illegality of the constitution used by the Electoral Management Group (EMG) emerges.

AFC Leopards have a had a myriad of challenges, many of which have been attributed by leadership wrangles in the club. The challenges have gone ahead and even crippled the club’s performance in the Kenya Premier League.

It is heartbreaking to hear that the 13 times KPL winners finished number 11 in the KPL table this past season and instead of looking for a solution for a better result next season, the fierce battle still continues…

And now again, leadership dispute seems to be soon sinking Ingwe deeper in the mud as Boniface Ambani has filed a case against EMG in court.

Ambani, who is eyeing for the club’s chairmanship wants his name to be cleared by the EMG and be allowed to contest for the position.

According to AFC Leopards, Ambani has not been a member of the club for the last three years as required by their constitution, a claim that the former striker has since contested and said that he is a member of the club.

Image result for elvis majani

Also, the EMG chairman Dr. Geoffrey Sedede has stated clearly that HELB, CRB, KRA and certificate of good conduct are some of the things that Ambani and four others have failed to comply with, making them ineligible to vie for the position.

But Ambani, in his file to the High Court, which is set to be heard on 19 June states that the decision to lock him out of the contest is unconstitutional and violation of his political rights. He further said that the EMG is not properly constituted and should be disbanded.

His lawyer Elvis Majani said that the current constitution which is being used to conduct the elections is a mere draft since it has not been registered and the old constitution of 2013 only stipulates that one just needs to be a duly registered member to run for any post.

“They cannot use a draft constitution which they say will be passed during the elections to lock out an aspirant, the best thing to do was to pass it first then conduct elections after,” Elvis said.

                                                                                                    Elvis Majani

Details of the certificate of urgency;

“The applicant’s (Boniface Ambani) constitutional rights have been violated and are still being violated as he has been denied the chance to contest in the respondent’s(AFC Leopards) elections of the 23rd of June, 2019 despite, being fully qualified as per the elections by law,” read the certificate of urgency.

“The EMG, which was meant to run the said elections, was not properly constituted and thus illegally running and managing the said elections,” argued Ambani’s Lawyer Elvis Majani on June 4, 2019.

“That I have been precluded from participating in the forthcoming club’s election and subsequently vying for the positions of the club’s chairperson on the basis of the amended constitution which is yet to be passed,” reads court papers.

In May 2019, the former AFC striker was on record lamenting on how hectic the clearance process for the election is. “A lot of things are still in darkness, it is hectic,” furious Ambani said.

It can also be remembered that in February this year, Ambani rejected the appointment by the club to be the assistant coach to Casa Mbungo and demanded that the team to make an official announcement before he could take up that offer.

Image result for elvis majani

Things started to boil up from that time and many believed that that could be the primary reason why the football legend is being locked out of the electoral process.

Essentially, Ambani argues that he is not against the electoral process. But he wants the election date postponed and his name be included in the ballot.

“We don’t want to stop the process but all we want is Ambani name to be included in the list of candidates for the chairmanship,” Ambani’s lawyer said.

All eyes are waiting to see how the event in the court will transpire and whether AFC were right to lock out Boniface Ambani from contesting the Chairmanship position.

 

 

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