NANS Election: Government 'Largesse' Tears Association Into 2 Factions

NANS Election: Government 'Largesse' Tears Association Into 2 Factions

  • The just concluded elections of the National Associational Association of Nigerian Students have produced two different presidents
  • The newly elected presidents are - Usman Umar Barambu of Federal university Dutse, Jigawa state and Umar Farouk Lawal of Bayero University Kano
  • According to a NANS member, while Barambu is the government's preferred candidate, Lawal is the choice of the students

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has been split into two factions following millions of government largesse to secure votes for a preferred candidate, Usman Umar Barambu of Federal university Dutse, Jigawa state.

The largesse, Legit.ng gathered three out of the five candidates vying for the position of NANS president were asked to step down for Barambu who has emerged victorious alongside Umar Farouk Lawal of Bayero University Kano, who is the preferred candidate of the students.

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NANS election, NANS presidency, federal government largesse, bribery and corruption
Two factions have emerged after a NANS presidential election. Photo: Chukwu Eke
Source: UGC

A top member of the association who spoke to Legit.ng on the outcome of the NANS presidential election confirmed that the process was bastardised to the extent that some allegedly ineligible candidates who were earlier disqualified got waivers to content in the poll.

The member of the association said the largesse running into millions of naira was used to sway voters in favour of Barambu as money exchanged hands deep into the night before the election.

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His words:

"While the government preferred candidate, Usman Umar Barambu was declared the winner and returned as NANS president at the convention, Umar Farouk Lawal, who refused to collect money to step down was also declared the winner and returned as NANS president by delegates, and Nigerian students by extension."

The national convention of NANS was supposed to herald the end of the tenure of the outgoing President, Sunday Asefon, and usher in the new executive of NANS.

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Big loss for ASUU as lecturer resigns from union, gives important reason

A professor at Ibrahim Babangida University resigned his membership from the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Professor Mohammed Aliyu-Paiko said his decision followed the recent labelling of colleagues as quacks and irrelevant by the national president of ASUU.

According to the lecturer, Emmanuel Osodeke's outburst has made him lose confidence in his leadership.

FG talks tough, reveals fresh payment plan for ASUU after 186 days-long strike

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities will not be paid for the six months they did not work, the Federal Government had said.

The decision of the FG was made public by the minister of education, Adamu Adamu on Thursday, August 18.

According to Adamu, FG will not be reneging on its 'no work, no pay' policy as a deterrent to other workers who might want to adopt strike action as a means of making their grievances known to the government.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Nnenna Ibeh avatar

Nnenna Ibeh Nnenna Ibeh is a journalist with over 10 years of experience with various media organisations including Premium Times. Being on the front burner of reporting politics and the different dimensions of governance, she is also passionate about girls' education and women's and children's health. With degrees in Journalism, Peace Studies & Conflict Res., and Dev. Studies, Nnenna has worked in the dev. sector as a communications officer for the Centre for Democracy and Dev. email: ibehnnenna@gmail.com