Fraternal greetings to all Nigerian students’, student leaders, stakeholders and people of good conscience interested in a fair, just and egalitarian society. Particularly, the students society.
I deem it expedient to give my own account of the events at the inconclusive 2021 Convention of the National Association of Nigerian Students’, NANS, Kwara state axis, owing to the deliberate gross misrepresentation of facts contained in the communique issued by the obviously bias and illegal Convention Chairman and his Clerk.
All that happened at the Convention ground is a typical reflection of the societal rots that characterizes our dear students’ association, which people like me believe should be corrected, looking at Unionism from the prism of a preparatory ground for building nation builders of conscience, who will always choose to stand by the right things, even in the most difficult situations.
Sequel to the biased tonation of the communique issued by Comr. Abdulrauf Taofeeq Alada (Convention Clerk) on 12th of April 2021, addressing me as “one Comrade Babatunde from Kwara polytechnic”, demonstrating the undisguised bias of supposed unbiased umpire, accusing me of threatening to stop the convention, I have decided to state the facts of the matter as follows.
I am an aspirant for the position of NANS/JCC Kwara axis from Kwara state polytechnic and scaled through all due processes of the elections. Upon my nomination at the convention by my SUG President, Sen. OBÀFÈMI ISAAC, I walked into the election hall to stand a chance of clinching the Chairmanship seat I was so much prepared for.
However, i discovered the Convention Chairman is Sen. Adigun Azeez, whose studentship already expired and run contrary to provision of NANS constitution, morality and natural principle for non students to have predominant interests in students unionism.
Discovering this age long aberration, I immediately made a security observation alerting the NANS Kwara Senate Council members present, that the elected Convention Chairman is no longer a student and lacks the right to conduct the elections into the leadership of the Association. My outburst raised eyebrows and led to cacophony among members of the Senate council and left them raising questions about Adigun’s studentship, which he couldn’t defend. He also failed to provide valid school ID Card to nullify my claims.
Instead of disqualifying the Convention Chairman and elected another truly eligible student as Convention Chairman to conduct the elections, the illegal Chairman vetoed my disqualification for daring to challenge his eligibility, in a bid to cover their dirty linen. My ‘Toronto’ disqualification led to confrontations from the Senators, leading to no fewer than eight (8) of them walking out of the election hall in protest against the sheer injustice.
The venue of the elections consequently became rancorous, as students at the convention ground agitated for justice and unbias election process but these were met with deaf ears, as they went ahead with preplanned Kangaroo convention.
Nevertheless, I was able to calm the aggrieved students’ at the convention ground to avoid breakdown of law and order, assuring them that I already spoke with the Director of State Security Service, Kwara Command on phone and he assured that justice will be served.
It is quite unfortunate, that an association built on the foundation of uprightness, justice and fairness for all, is embroiled in election malpractices, fraud and naked injustice.
I, Comr ABDULGANIYU Babatunde Sodiq (Ednut) of Kwara state Polytechnic and an aspirant contesting for the Chairmanship position of NANS/JCC, Kwara axis seize this medium to acknowledge and appreciate the support of Nigerian students’ and general public. I am reiterating my call on the Convention Planning Committee to right the wrongs, else, the other options to seek justice in pursuit of the course of straightening the bends of students’ unionism would be explored.
I have also been duly informed that the Convention Clerk, Abdulrauf Taofeeq Alada is also a non-student, hence, his outpour should be taken for the noise it is. I call on the Convention Planning Committee to call for another convention, else, doctrine of necessity would be explored in filling the vacuum in the leadership of our dear association.
Comr. ABDULGANIYU Babatunde Sodiq (Ednut)
Chairmanship Aspirant, NANS/JCC, Kwara axis.
