Controversy Trails ANLCA Western Zone Elections as Aggrieved Members Protest at Headquarters

The recently conducted elections for new executive committee members in the Western Zone chapters of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on February 20, 2025, may have concluded, but tensions continue to rise over alleged irregularities.

While results were announced for several chapters on election night, protests erupted on March 2, as aggrieved members of the Ports & Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) chapter stormed ANLCA’s national headquarters—Dikko Inde House—to contest the outcome of their election.

Prince Waheed Adeboje, a candidate for PTML Chapter Chairman, rejected the election results, claiming they were manipulated to favor his opponent. He and his supporters insist that the election was neither free nor fair, prompting them to stage a peaceful demonstration at ANLCA’s headquarters.

ANLCA’s constitution mandates that members resolve disputes internally before seeking legal action, leading the aggrieved members to take their grievances directly to the association’s leadership.

Around 25 supporters gathered at the headquarters, chanting solidarity songs before proceeding into the secretariat.

Olanrewaju Ajidagba, one of the protesters, stated: “The Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) wants to slap us and get away with it, but we are not relenting in seeking justice. We demand a rerun of the election.”

Chief Oluseyi Oke, Adeboje’s election monitor, described significant discrepancies in the vote count. According to him: 69 voters were accredited, 48 votes were cast, 65 votes were declared, 17 votes remain unaccounted for

He questioned how ASECO arrived at the final results, accusing them of failing to justify the irregularities.

ANLCA’s President, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji, addressed the protesters, assuring them that their concerns would be reviewed. Speaking in an interview, he said:

“The protest concerns the PTML chapter elections. I have assured them that their grievances will be heard. Even though the swearing-in is scheduled for Thursday, if we find that the results were manipulated, the declared winners can still be removed. Our constitution provides for this.”

Nwokeoji acknowledged that disputes are common in elections but emphasized the importance of following constitutional processes to resolve them.

Meanwhile, Prince Waheed Adeboje has maintained that he won the election, arguing that over 80% of chapter members supported him.
He further claimed that a leaked phone conversation exposed pre-election manipulation by a political “godfather.”

“A mistakenly placed call to one of our supporters, Ayo, who shares the same name as someone from my opponent’s camp, revealed the entire plan. The recorded conversation happened before the election, and everything that was said played out exactly as planned on election day.”

He also accused ASECO of disenfranchising some of his supporters, asserting that: “Even with the disenfranchisement, we won. Swearing in my opponent is endorsing illegality. We have written multiple protest letters and sought justice through peaceful means, but no one has invited us for discussions.”

Adeboje and his supporters are demanding that ASECO annul the results and declare him the rightful winner, citing both the leaked phone conversation and the vote discrepancies as evidence.

“ASECO must do the right thing and return our mandate. The numbers don’t add up—69 accredited voters, 48 votes cast, but 65 declared. We cannot accept this injustice.” he said