There has been confusion as the general election conducted by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) produced two different candidates as President of the student body.
NANS which is the national body of Nigerian students studying in Nigerian tertiary institutions and diaspora reportedly concluded its general election on Saturday, September 3, 2022, but two presidents were said to have emerged.
The two candidates announced as factional presidents are Umar Lawal of the Department of Library and Information Science of the Bayero University, Kano and Usman Umar of the Federal University Dutse.
The faction led by Usman Umar Barambu is said to be favoured by the government, while other led by Umar Farouk Lawal of Bayero University Kano, is the preferred candidate of the students.
A senior member of the association who attended the national convention of the association told newsmen that a government largesse running into millions of Naira was allegedly used by government officials to “buy off” three out of five candidates and asked them to step down for their preferred candidate, Usman Umar Barambu of Federal university Dutse, Jigawa state and most of them complied expect the students’ preferred candidate, Umar Farouk Lawal of Bayero University.
The senior NANS member said the election process was bastardized to the point that the alleged ineligible candidates who were disqualified got weavers to contest as money exchanged hands at night hour.
He said: “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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