By Kadiri Christopher
At last,a new and legitimate leadership has emerged in the Edo State Football Association as Fred Newton Erhunmeunsee has been elected chairman of the Executive Board,after a kinly contested Edo FA election in Benin today .
Fred Erhunmeunsee Director of sports,Benson Idahosa University and former Referee polled a total of 15 votes to win the number one seat ahead of former FIFA bagged Referee Engr Emmanuel Edekin Emiere who polled seven votes to come second in the kinly contested EFA election which held at the Airforce Base, Airport Road, Benin city.
Kindness Ohiowele won the position of vice chairman with ease as he was returned unopposed..
Johnbull Edosomwan came third after securing just one vote while Egbon Victor who was absent did not get any vote.
Among the five candidates duly screened and cleared for the chairmanship position, Benjamin Owerei formally announced his decision to step down for the eventual winner of the race, Fred Erhunmeunsee at the congress.
On the two seats of Edo south, Micah Igbinovia with 19 votes and Stephens Amadin 16 edged out Michael Uhumwangho who scored 12 votes.
Faith Ojeaga got 22 votes and Kennedy Ugbodaga had 21 votes to secure the two seats of Edo Central.
In the Edo North seats contested, it was a landslide victory for Paul Ojeikhesoba while Charles Olubayo was unavoidably absent due to state function abroad. The remaining two seats will later be filled through bye election.
In his acceptance speech,the newly elected Edo FA chairman Fred Erhunmeunsee said he was happy not only for his victory at the poll but because peace has finally returned to Edo FA. He promised that he will not disappoint Edo people and NFF.
" I am grateful to Edo state government, the Nigeria Football Federation and all the electorates for the confidence they have in me. "It has been a long but unnecessary fight but I thank God the truth is out, election is over,it is victory for all of us; no losers. Edo football is the winner . Let me specially thank NFf delegation led by our first vice president Felix Anyansi Ageu and the Chief of staff to Edo state Governor Hon Osagbovo Iyoha for sparing their time to monitor the electoral process till the end. It would have been impossible, but for their intervention.
Earlier in an address, the outgone chairman Dr Moses Aghedo expressed his gratitude to Governor Godwin Obaseki and his chief of staff Hon Osagbovo Iyoha for allowing an enabling environment that ensured a peaceful election. He added that Anyansi led NFF delegation and the nation's football governing body under the leadership of Ibrahim Gusau,,have again proven to Edo people and the world that they are the round peg in the round hole. We must ascribe our success to NFF and Edo state government.They have helped us to put to shame enemies of Edo football," he said.
In an interview with journalists after the FA election, the First Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Felix Anyansi said that the victory is victory for football. Edo is a big football state and we couldn't have allowed the state to fail. "As a matter of fact, we didn't come to Edo with any directive but we came to Edo to see for ourselves. On getting to Benin,we discovered that all that were trending on social media were not the true position of things. There was actually no issue in Edo FA. It was just some kind of lies and misunderstanding among members. We corrected the anomalies and got things going.
"We must also commend the outgone acting chairman Dr Moses Aghedo whose interest was to conduct a free and fair election and handover. He was tired and eager to handover to a legitimately elected executive", he added.
See video of his victory below
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