Uncertainty looms over SW FECAFOOT elections

From Mua Patrick Mughe in Buea

With less than 12 days to the date set aside for the holding of various FECAFOOT regional elections, it is still unclear if any of such election will take place in the South West region following the recent disqualification of all six divisional leagues in the region by the normalization committee. According to the FECAFOOT normalization committee decision, the six leagues in the region had not been functional.

Following that crucial decision from the committee, it is now unclear who exactly is eligible to vote in the forthcoming elections. Although the same disqualification decision stated that only regional club presidents will vote during the election, the number of clubs taking part in the regional league observers argue, is too small compared to the 42 delegates from the divisions that hitherto were to vote at the regional level.

Eighteen clubs are currently taking part in the league and going by the normalization committee’s decision, they will form the electoral college. For Kupe Muanenguba and Lebialem teams, controversy still hangs over their participation in the league by and large in the forthcoming elections. We gathered that though they have been programmed in the ongoing second round league matches, they are yet to effect their participation.

Botafogo FC and Sharks of Idenau have not participated at all in the league, yet we are told Botafogo has licenses and may likely participate in the election. A dependable source at the South West FECAFOOT office  however  hinted this  reporter that a crack team of officials of the normalization committee are currently working on  a document that will guide elections in the region on November 7. But as it stands, confusion still looms on how divisional FECAFOOT delegates will emerge after the elections.
We were reliably informed that several club presidents in the region are currently mobilizing to throw their weight behind Nouck Protus (founder and president of Little Foot of Tiko) in a bid to oust Senator Mbella Moki Charles as the regional FECAFOOT boss.

In a meeting that held recently in Buea to evaluate the regional league, Senator Mbella Moki apparently frightened by the unity and strong force of the club presidents described the various meetings they have been holding this far as “illegal”.

Nouck Protus who happens to be Mbella Moki’s main challenger and a favourite candidate told this reporter in Mutengene that the utterances from the
outgoing president are seemingly a threat. He said they will stop at nothing to secure victory for themselves.

Meanwhile, the president of Future Stars Sports Academy of Limbe, Ebounbou Jack in very unkind words said football in the South West region during Mbella Moki’s 10- year tenure has been a sham and ignominy. The founder of the then Dynamic FC of Limbe (now Dynamic FC of Buea) said the Mbella Moki-led bureau has killed football in the South West region… “Football is death in this region. Ten years ago, the South West region was ranked third in the country in terms of football performance and maturity after the Littoral and Centre regions, but today, where are we?,” he questioned.

Ebounbou who prides self as the oldest club president argued that when Mbella Moki took over as president some ten years ago, the region could boast of  three Division I clubs; notably Tiko United, Victoria United and Mt. Cameroon FC who later all dropped to the inferior league. Other Division II clubs like Kumba Lakers and Olympic of Muyuka he continued, have also been relegated to the very amateurish regional league.
Meantime, the race certainly to the FECAFOOT regional top job, we gathered, has now been reduced to three candidates to include Nouck Protus, Barrister Agbor Balla and Senator Mbella Moki, following Eteki Charles’ open declaration at a Buea meeting that he is now behind the senator. There is said to be a lot of scheming amongst the club presidents. Eteki’s declaration had long been expected given his closeness to Senator Mbella. Eteki said at the meeting that: “I have thought it wise that the right man is Senator

Mbella Moki.”