Mule: I will not quit AFC chairmanship race

AFC Leopards co-chairman, Dan Mule, has scoffed at those urging him to step down from the race of the top seat and instead vie for the vice-chairmanship during the forthcoming club elections.

Citizen Digital has established that Mule has been prevailed upon to drop his bid having declared his candidature against his co-chairman, Matthews Opwora, former Football Kenya Federation vice-president, Robert Asembo and Mombasa Branch chairman, Maurice Amahwa.

“People have different opinions based on what they want. Nothing will stop me from going for the chairmanship. When the club was collapsing no one saw that element of my background when I worked round the clock to avoid the worst.

“Everyone who has club’s interest at heart knows what I mean,” the former Embakasi Branch boss who hails from Machakos said in dismissing the claims.

At the same time, the club’s Interim Management Committee (IMC) has finally submitted the membership register to the Sports Disputes Tribunal in a key step in the organising of the club elections.

Electoral Board secretary, Irine Tindi, confirmed receiving the register in soft copy on Monday night but could comment on its contents adding verification is yet to kick off.

“I have not even checked the details of the register. They will have to bring us the documents in hard copy for verification. We can only meet later in the evening and once we deliberate on it I can be in position to give a way forward,” Tindi said Tuesday.

Mule intimated the register has 4,000 members and is optimistic a road map to the elections should be out by Friday evening.

“I was not directly involved in the register matters but I want to believe the team that was on it did a good job. It is an important step because personally I want elections done so that we have an office in place.

“At this point it’s good the Electoral Board is given ample time to carry out its duty, as we seek a long lasting solution to the leadership problem of our club. I appeal to the members who want to hold elections on July 3 to be calm. If all goes well we will go the ballot on July 23,” he elaborated.

A section of club members across its branches last week held a media briefing protesting deferment of the elections.

“I understand their agitation when they say the 120 days IMC was given in December last year are over. I also feel we should have had an elected office as early as April when the Committee’s time lapsed because we have lost a lot with the kind of management we are having.

“For example two key sponsors I have personally approached are willing to come on board but not until we have an elaborate office in place through elections,” Mule revealed.

The IMC took charge of the club last December when the Sports Disputes Tribunal arbitrated a bitter leadership dispute that saw two factions led by Mule and his co-chair, Matthews Opwora clash over the control of the club.

The two rose to prominence when the chairmanship seat became vacant following the resignation of Allan Kasavuli mid last year.