Kelechi Oputa Blasts Ladipo Market Chairman, Onyebinanma For Linking Him To His Arrest 

KINGSLEY EBERE 

The Chairmanship aspirant for the Aguiyi Ironsi International Market leadership, Chief Kelechi Oputa a.k.a Baba KC, has debunked claims by the embattled chairman of the market, Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma, linking him to his arrest following the petition by some aggrieved traders over high handedness and that of members of his task force and unlawful attack on the perceived opposition traders, which is causing crises in the market in Lagos State.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Chief Oputa also declared that he had no link whatsoever with respect to the petition against him and members of his task force and their subsequent arrest.

He maintained that all what the aggrieved traders are demanding from  him and his Executives is a free and fair election and for them to desist from intimidating and harassing the traders with the task force in the market.

“I was not a party to the petition and did not go to Abuja over the matter. Yet Onyebinanma went on social media mentioning my name in order to tarnish my image just because I declared my intention to contest for the position of chairman of the above mentioned market in the forthcoming election, which is my right as a bona fide member  of the Aguiyi Ironsi International Market, Ladipo, Lagos State” Chief Oputa said.

Oputa further explained that he is known in the market as a peace maker and that was why the traders gave him the title as Ambassador of Peace, for the sacrifices he made to ensure that there is peace in the market after he contested the last election with Onyebinanma and accepted the outcome of the election.

He explained that he contested the last election with Onyebinanma and the electoral committee declared Onyebinanma winner with one vote, which nearly caused trouble in the market over the manner he was declared the winner.

He further explained that in order to avert crisis in the market, he intervened and pleaded with his supporters to accept the result for the interest of peace in the market. He wondered why Onyebinanma should be mentioning his name because he wants to contest for the position of the Chairman in the market, which he had done before with other contestants.

Chief Oputa stated that the contentious issue in the market is that he declared to contest for the position of the Chairman,  which Onyebinanma felt threatened about and started creating selective and  strange membership data base and ID cards for some selected members with the intention of using same as a qualification for voting in the forthcoming election in the market, which has never happened before during elections in the market.

In his words, “He has started disenfranchising perceived opponents supporters in the market from attending meetings using the said ID card, which he has given to his supporters alone”.

On the issue of petition to the IGP by some aggressived traders, Chief Oputa explained that on the day of their General Meeting, he went for the meeting and they reluctantly allowed him to go in.

However, when the immediate Vice Chairman and Treasurer of the market,  Uche Eze a.k.a Baba Ido and Izuchukwu  Ikeuba, came for the same meeting, the members of the task force refused them entry, manhandled, assaulted and  attacked them with unlawful objects, which led to crises and writing of the petition to the IGP and did not link him.

On the issue of ID cards for the election, Chief Oputa stated that majority of the traders do not want it because it was mainly meant to suit the Chairman’s purpose and the ID cards are given selectively to Onyebinanma’s supporters, which is not acceptable.

He explained that during previous elections in the market, it was usually conducted by shop to shop enumeration, which was also used in the last election, where he was declared the winner.

“But because Onyebinanma has come to realise that he is now very unpopular in  the market due to his bad leadership, he is therefore, trying to devise a means through this his so called data base and ID cards, which are only given to Onyebinanma’s known supporters and it is not acceptable. What we are demanding for is equal rights for all the  traders, who are members of the Aguiyi Ironsi International Market at Ladipo, Lagos State and equal level playing ground for all the contestants and  members at all times and during the conduct of the forthcoming election” Oputa stated.

Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma was said to have landed in trouble after he started using violence to suppress, harass and intimidate traders with force of arms through his task force, having disappointed the traders, who are the key critical stakeholders for his reelection, with poor and bad leadership in the market.