NANS sacks Ogun student leaders, sets 30-day deadline for fresh polls

The National Association of Nigerian Students has dissolved the Executive Council of the Ogun State Joint Campus Council, citing constitutional breaches and deepening factional divisions, and has constituted a transition committee to oversee fresh elections within 30 days.

The decision followed what the association described as a “thorough, impartial and constitutionally guided investigation” into a series of petitions and counter-petitions that had trailed the council’s leadership for months.

In a statement signed by its President, Olushola Oladoja, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the student body said the crisis was driven by “constitutional misinterpretation, administrative inconsistencies and rising factional tendencies.”

“These developments have culminated in a constitutional crisis, posing a serious threat to the unity and operational coherence of NANS in Ogun State,” the statement said.

The national secretariat clarified that the outgoing chairman of the council was duly elected in February 2025, having met all constitutional requirements at the time of his emergence. It noted that no electoral petition or appeal was filed to challenge his victory, affirming the legitimacy of his initial mandate.

However, the association faulted the leadership for overstaying its constitutionally stipulated 12-month tenure and entering a three-month transition window that was already nearing expiration without due process.

According to the statement, the executive also failed to convene a pre-convention senate meeting within the required timeframe and did not constitute a convention planning committee ahead of the transition period.

The failure to comply with these constitutional timelines constitutes a procedural breach,” it added

Beyond procedural lapses, the secretariat accused the leadership of a “persistent lack of cooperation, engagement in divisive activities and conduct capable of precipitating factionalisation,” which it said necessitated urgent intervention to restore order.

Consequently, the council was dissolved with immediate effect, and all stakeholders were directed to disregard any decisions taken by the outgoing executives.

To stabilise the council, NANS announced the constitution of a transition committee chaired by the Vice President (Inter-Campus Affairs), Akinbodunse Praise, while the National Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa, will serve as secretary.

Other members of the committee include officials from the South-West zone of the association and selected Students’ Union Government presidents across tertiary institutions in Ogun State.

The committee has been mandated to oversee the affairs of the council and organise fresh elections within 30 days in strict compliance with the NANS constitution.

The association emphasised that the forthcoming electoral process must adhere to principles of transparency, fairness, and credibility, warning that any deviation would not be tolerated.

This verdict represents the final position of the National Secretariat,” the statement added. “All parties are enjoined to abide by this decision and work towards strengthening the student movement in Ogun State and Nigeria at large.”

The development underscores recurring governance challenges within student union structures in Nigeria, where disputes over tenure, electoral processes, and constitutional interpretation often trigger factional crises, prompting intervention from national bodies like NANS.