Former AFC Leopards chairman Mathews Opwora has welcomed the decision by the government to cancel the club’s elections.
The exercise to elect new officials for the club was due to be held on June 23, but according to a letter from the Sports Registrar signed by Rose Wasike, a new date will be issued in the next 28 days.
Opwora, who was in charge of AFC Leopards before the current office took charge, now says the decision by the Registrar was long overdue and it will go a long way to help the club set up for a proper election.
“We are very happy with the latest decision and the way forward now is for the club members to come up with a new office, because the current office’s term will end on June 23,” Opwora told Goal in an interview.
“The current officials will not be having any mandate and the club should now come up with a road map to help create a club constitution that should be all inclusive and also come up with member recruitment exercise as per the Sports Act.”
“AFC Leopards is a national club and is for the entire community but the cartels are holding the club hostage, using this for selfish gains. They have come up with a corrupted constitution which only serves their own interest and also came up with punitive nomination fees to deny members take part in the exercise.”
“We want a new constitution whereby members must be drawn from 24 counties and then we do an all-inclusive election, for everybody, but if they ignore this, then we will have more wrangles because the club is already divided and we will have no peace.”
Opwora maintained that by the time he was handing over to outgoing chairman Dan Mule, the club had not come up with a new constitution.
“In reality, AFC Leopards does not have a constitution, the club is in limbo and the advice from the Sports Registrar should be welcomed. It is a good response from the government because the club must now act,” Opwora concluded.
