The National Association of Nigerian Students has today begun accreditation of Students’ Union Presidents of various tertiary institutions across Nigeria forming the senators that would vote for the next executive of the association as Asefon-led NANS President set to be dissolved tommorrow immediately after the convention.
Recall, the NANS election earlier scheduled to hold last week Thursday had been delayed till today, the new date later set for accreditation due to internal wranglings viz-a-viz permutations by the camp of Asefon believed to be loyal to ruling APC party and the other camp believed to have been rooting for the NANS-executive that would be aligning to the Peoples’ Democratic Party as the general elections come close.
ODUDUWA NEWS Correspondent in Abuja had earlier reported how several students had lamented how the current executive members of NANS had been using them to play political pranks in their various political camps they had pitched their tents with.
It was observed that election could have been held as scheduled but was rescheduled due to the disagreement and rancour that trailed the disqualification of some candidates believed to be marked down by Asefon, the incumbent president of the association.
Bab Tee from Ondo State was earlier screened out by the the Convention Planning Committee CPC on the grounds that he was a fresh undergraduate which according to the CPC was in violation to the constitution of NANS. However, some stakeholders in Southwest NANS had spoken to ODUDUWA NEWS on last week Thursday that they would rather disrupt the convention from holding if their candidate, BabTee was not allowed to contest.
Many student leaders who spoke to ODUDUWA NEWS in Abuja alleged Asefon to be working for APC in order to ensure that loyalists of the ruling party later emerge.
They have also confirmed to ODUDUWA NEWS that there would be factional executive members the way Asefon-led NANS is running the affairs of the convention as one man show. The student leaders believed that even if those disqualified were later allowed to contest, there would be a declaration of faction if they lose because the Convention Planning Committee CPC had shown partisanship since the beginning of the electioneeing process.
In the latest development, the Convention Planning Committee CPC had lifted embargo on all the disqualified candidates and hinged its decision on the grounds that ASUU strike action that had wasted academic calendar of the candidates necessitated the decision and should not be a basis for precedent in the nearest future.
Currently, the accreditation is going on but some student leaders hold the belief that the battle is between PDP and APC and who hold the mace at the final run will be determined at the convention.