Ladipo Market Election Turns Into Do Or Die Affair

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

There were serious indications that the Ladipo Market election slated to come up on Wednesday 8th of March, 2018 may have turned into a do or die affair following the huge amount of money the candidates were made to pay before contesting in the market at Mushin, Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the tension stemmed from the fact that the candidates were made to pay huge sums of money and they therefore want to win at all cost in order to recoup the money they had spent thereafter.

It was gathered that candidates for the position of the president were asked to pay N500,000 each, the Vice- N300,000 each, General Secretary – N200,000 and other amounts for the rest contesting for other positions. According to some of the traders, the election has become a do or die affair at the market and the blame should go to the present leadership of the market led by Chief Kingsley Oguine.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the traders at the market had been fictionalised into two camps led by the two presidential candidates – the chairman of Aguiyi Ironsi International, Chief Cyril Onyemaechi and chairman of Odo Aladura, Comrade Jude Nwankwo popularly know as Ture.

Traders also revealed that the mode of the election led to the battle between Nwankwo and Onyemaechi which made it compulsory for candidates to come up with their line up. It was learnt that the contestants became jittery after they realised that they may be out of business because they had to sell their goods to pay for clearance for the election.

One of the candidates told P.M.EXPRESS that it was obvious that he will have to return to his village in Anambra if he eventually lost the election.

The election became so complicated that it has divided the traders between Anambra and Enugu State because of the way Chief Oguine skewed the election.

Chief Onyemaechi hails from Enugu State, while Nwankwo is from Anambra State.

When our correspondent visited the market, the traders were in groups discussing the election and were praying for the election to come and go without bloodshed.

Some of traders said they were afraid because the market was already infested with thugs and cults groups aided by the present executives.

When P.M.EXPRESS contacted the contestants at the market, they could not be reached even on their phones.

However, it was gathered that the Area Commander, Area D, Mushin, ACP Olasunji Olasoji was aware of the situation and was said to have beefed up security at the market.