Gor Mahia aspirants threaten legal action against Rachier
Gor Mahia’s aspiring office bearers have threatened to take legal action against incumbent Chairman Ambrose Rachier citing unconventional tactics to win the forthcoming elections.
In a press conference at the Six Eighty Hotel on Saturday, the aspirants demanded that the office release the rules for the elections, and drop the member registration charges from Sh500 to Sh100.
According to Sally Bolo, aspiring treasurer, the elections slated for next Sunday should be presided over by an independent body to ensure there is a level playing field for all aspirants.
“We cannot have the current chairman running for a post, and still left in charge of issuing tickets for member registration. Rachier should constitute a body to run the elections,” she said.
Collins Kalee, who is running for Assistant Secretary General, added that the circumstances under which the Sh500 was passed by branch officials was not entirely convincing, and should therefore be lowered.
“Many of our fans cannot afford the Sh500 fee, and we want those who follow the team wherever it goes to have a chance to determine their next crop of leaders,” said Collins Kalee, who is running for Assistant Secretary General.
Branch officials passed the Sh500 member registration fee through a vote in a meeting held last week with the current office bearers, but Kalee insists that most of the voters were not branch officials, and there was no way of verifying that they were.
The aspirants insist that Rachier convene a meeting with all gunning for office, so as to discuss the rules and mode of elections. They say the office had promised to convene a meeting to discuss the rules, but are yet to do so with just a week to the elections.
“If he cannot honour that then we shall not agree to take part in a questionable election, and our only option will be to seek legal redress,” said Harrison Okwiri, who is challenging Rachier for the Chairman position alongside city lawyer Eric Adede.
He added that all aspirants not part of the outgoing office have joined hands to have the demand met, including Adede and radio presenter Joe Gidi, who is aspiring to be the club’s next treasurer.
Rachier could not be reached for comment, but current Secretary General George Bwana says the aspirants should stop creating sideshows, as everything is happening as it should.
“At the meeting, which very few of those calling themselves aspirants attended, everything was resolved as it is happening. In fact nobody should be called an aspirant until they have remitted the fees for the post they are running for. Nobody, I included, has paid the fee yet,” he said.
Bwana added that a meeting will be called between the current office and aspirants so as to form a committee to run the elections, but it will only be done after the aspirants have paid their nomination fees.