Student Union Leaders across tertiary institutions in Ogun State have approved the removal of the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the state and four others, over what they described as “constitutional breaches and eligibility issues”.
The announcement of the removal of the NANS top officials was contained in a communique issued at the end of an extraordinary meeting of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Ogun State Joint Campus Committee (JCC) Senators, held on Monday, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The copy of the communiqué was made available to journalists on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
In the communique signed by Comrades Isiah Olamilekan Michael, Adebayo Iliyas, Temitope Afolabi, Adeyemi Emmanuel, Lateef Anuoluwapo, Adegoke Jesutunmise, Ilo Fadilu Temitope and Abdusalam Khalid Gbolahan, Student Union Presidents of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB);
Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology (SACOTEC); Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta (MAPOLY); Federal Polytechnic Ilaro/Federal University of Science and Technology; Cooperative College, Abeokuta; Social Development Institute, Shasha:
The Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa and Gateway Institute of Petroleum, Oni, respectively, the Ogun NANS leaders were found culpable in breaching Article 15, Sub-section 2 of the NANS’ Constitution, hence their removal from their various offices
Rising from the meeting attended by duly recognized stakeholders and representatives from affiliated institutions, the senators declared that Francis Abiola Gabriel (Chairman), Gbohunmi Zinsu (Deputy Chairman), Ademuwagun Sunday Olalekan (Vice Chairman), Special Duties), Adeola Hezekiah (Secretary) and Amodu Imodola Junaid (Assistant General Secretary), were not bona fide full-time students or had graduated at the time of contesting the election, contravening NANS’ constitutional requirements.
The senators justified their action by citing Article 17, Sub-section 2 of the NANS’ Constitution which clearly stipulates that “Any aspirant who at any point after an election into any office in NANS is shown by an investigation to have not been qualified at the time of election stands immediately removed from office and the runner up in that election is immediately sworn in”.
“In Article 15, sub-section 2 article (1) and (2) of the NANS’ Constitution, it is further stated that: “Any full time student of an institution of higher learning in Nigeria who is not in the first year of admission will be eligible to hold an Executive position in NANS…”
“A full time student shall be one pursuing a full time programme in pursuit of a National Certificate of Education, National Diploma, Higher National Diploma, and Bachelors and post graduate programmes…”
“Comrade Francis Abiola Gabriel was found to be running a part-time programme, while Comrade Gbohunmi Zinsu had graduated in 2022. Comrade Ademuwagun Sunday Olalekan, a student of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), was deemed ineligible due to NOUN’s part-time status. Comrade Adeola Hezekiah had also graduated in 2022, and Comrade Amodu Imodola Junaid was a part-time student at Lagos State University”, the communiqué stated.
The senators, however, resolved that all actions taken by the removed officials, including a bye-election conducted in December 2025, were null and void.
Meanwhile, the senators announced Comrade Kolawole Sodiq, a 500-level student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta as the Ogun NANS Acting Chairman.
They noted that Sodiq who is the duly recognized PRO of the Ogun NANS JJC had declared his intention and obtained a nomination form for the chairmanship position at the last convention.
“Comrade Sodiq, who had properly declared his intent and met constitutional requirements for the chairmanship position is a bonafide 500 level full-time student of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; he is hereby directed to assume the office of Acting Chairman of NANS Ogun State JCC with immediate effect.
“The meeting reaffirmed NANS’ commitment to upholding its constitution and preserving the integrity of the student movement, emphasizing the importance of adhering to constitutional provisions and ensuring that only eligible individuals hold leadership positions within the association”, the communique submitted.
