Anambra FA Crisis: Igbokwe Accuses Chairman of Corruption, Dictatorship in Petition to Soludo
Ikechukwu Igbokwe and Chikelue Iloenyosi
Ikechukwu Igbokwe, a seasoned football administrator, has petitioned Governor Chukwuma Soludo, urging him to take urgent and decisive action to halt what he described as ongoing illegality within the Anambra State Football Association (AnSFA) ,a crisis he says threatens to destroy football in the state.
In the petition titled “Criminal Activities of the Chairman of AnSFA, Chikelue Iloenyosi: Illegally Expelling Fellow Elected AnSFA Board Members; Preventing Bye Elections Into Unfilled AnSFA Board Member Positions; Illegal Dissolution of Local Football Council Boards; Intimidating and Banning Innocent Anambra Football Stakeholders; Heartless Looting of Anambra FA Treasury; and Total Destruction of Football in Anambra”, Igbokwe listed a series of allegations against the current AnSFA Chairman.
The 61-year-old lawyer and football activist alleged that since Chikelue Iloenyosi assumed office in 2022, he has acted with impunity, violating established laws and statutes of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Igbokwe, who has been involved in football administration since 1997, claimed that Iloenyosi has consistently used threats and intimidation against stakeholders, boasting of his connections with high-ranking officers in the Nigeria Police Force.
The former Executive Secretary of the defunct Gabros International FC of Nnewi further alleged that many genuine football stakeholders have been driven away by Iloenyosi’s conduct.
He accused the Chairman of unilaterally accessing and spending funds from the FA treasury without approvals from either the Anambra FA board or the General Assembly.
In the petition, Igbokwe called on Governor Soludo to urgently intervene to rescue Anambra’s football from what he described as “irreparable damage.
““It is with a very heavy and sad heart that I write you this petition against the highly unacceptable criminal activities of the current Chairman of the Anambra FA, Chikelue Iloenyosi, since he assumed office in 2022.”
“Your Excellency, I cannot remain silent while Mr. Iloenyosi continues to loot the Anambra football industry in broad daylight , in an obscene, brazen, and arrogant manner.”he said.
He accused Iloenyosi of running the Football Association as a sole administrator, sidelining the four other elected board members a situation he claimed is a flagrant violation of Article 33(1) of the NFF statutes, which mandates collective governance through an elected board.
“His refusal to work with the full board is a calculated criminal breach of the statutes, which provide for a nine-member board. This was clearly done to monopolize and misappropriate FA resources.”
“He has effectively blocked other elected board members from functioning, which is a deliberate and illegal obstruction contrary to NFF’s Article 33(1) — which ensures that board members should function without hindrance or limitation.” he noted.
Igbokwe further stated that no legitimate board meetings have been convened in the past three years under Iloenyosi’s chairmanship.
He claimed that all decisions have been taken unilaterally, with no input from the co-elected board members.
“Due to certain force majeure and unforeseen circumstances, four board member seats could not be filled during the last AnSFA board elections. Unfortunately, three of these vacant seats belong to Anambra South , the zone of the current Executive Governor.” he added.
He accused Iloenyosi of intentionally violating AnSFA statutes by dissolving elected Local Football Council (LFC) boards, which are mandated to manage football at the local government level.
“In a desperate bid to rig himself into a second term despite clear incompetence and overwhelming stakeholder rejection, the Chairman has unilaterally and illegally dissolved the LFC boards. This is a blatant abuse of power.” he stated.
Igbokwe demanded the setting up of an independent panel of inquiry to verify the allegations contained in his petition.
“To condone these actions is to set a dangerous precedent in Anambra football.” he said .
It will be recalled that Igbokwe was arrested and detained at the Central Police Station, Awka, for three days from September 2 to September 5 following a petition by Iloenyosi.
Filed by Supra Legal Chambers on behalf of the AnSFA Chairman, the petition accused Igbokwe of cyberbullying, defam
ation, and criminal misrepresentation, including falsely presenting himself as a qualified lawyer.
The petition, titled “Petition Against Mr. Leonard Iyke Igbokwe for Cyberbullying, Defamation, and False Claim of Legal Practice”, alleged that Igbokwe has never attended the Nigerian Law School nor been called to the Bar, despite publicly claiming legal status.
Igbokwe, however, described his arrest as an abduction, stating that he was picked up on the streets of Awka by plainclothes, gun-wielding officers of the X-Squad Department of the Police Command in Awka — acting on Iloenyosi’s petition.
