Incumbent takes swipe at challengers as ABFA election looms

The gloves are off where the race for the presidency of the Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) is concerned, and the incumbent, Everton Gonsalves, has taken a major swipe at his opponents just one week before the pending vote.
The former national and Villa Lions striker face challenges from President of the Tryum FC, Keithroy Black, former executive member Joel Rayne and Edson Joseph who is also a former executive member.
Gonsalves, appearing on OBSERVER Radio’s Good Morning Jojo Sports Show on Tuesday, focused on why his opponents are not suitable for the “important task” of managing the most popular sport here in Antigua and around the world.
First, he zoomed in on what he believes is Black’s “pool leadership qualities”.
“He has nominated Lennie Quashie to be a vice president and Black as the leader, has complied with all the rules and regulation and you should follow the leader. So if Black has complied with the regulations and all of his other people [candidates] then how can a subordinate, which is Lennie Quashie, fail to or has refused to provide the requisite information?” he said.
The Villa Lions president then turned his attention to Rayne, recalling that he had served on two previous executives.
“He was part of Mervyn Richards [administration] and he resigned; part of my administration and he resigned; so you know if he wins this time around that he is going to resign. It is a precedence he is setting and if you [the cubs] want to trust it, then no problem. I am just indicating the facts so you can trust a man who is always resigning,” he said.
The once prolific goal scorer also threw a jab at Joseph before assuring that all the necessary mechanisms are being put in place for Monday’s elections at the Multipurpose Cultural Centre at Perry Bay.
“The ABFA is just providing administrative assistance because the elections will be conducted and supervised by the independent Ad Hoc Electoral Committee. In fact, if I am elected going into the next term, you will see a highly professionalised and highly customer service oriented secretarial staff — they are doing the bulk of the work to satisfy the Ad Hoc Electoral Committee,” Gonsalves said.
Apart from the presidential nominations, there are nine nominees for three vice president positions in Chester Hughes, Dale Thwaites, Rolston James, Daryl Michael, Gwendolyn Salmon, Akeilah Hillhouse, Rowan Benjamin, Berchel Andrew and Julia Roberts.
Also, 12 candidates have been confirmed as challengers for five ordinary member positions. They are Kenderson Gregory, Barbara Coates, Randy Baltimore, Everton Coates, Althea Joseph, Vaughn Christopher, Curtis Charles, Cleveland Williams, Arlene Josiah, Ian Piper, Rolston James and Ruby Williams.
Both Quashie (vice president nominee) and Devon Joseph (ordinary member nomination) were barred by the Ad Hoc Electoral Committee for different reasons.