The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone D(Southwest) has denied the purported endorsement of any or group of Presidential Candidates for the 2023 election.
It would be recalled that a report within the week had alleged an endorsement for the All Progressives Congress (APC), candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
A statement signed by the NANS Zone D(Southwest) Coordinator,
Comrade Adejuwon Emmanuel Olatunji titled: “Re: NANS Southwest Deputy Coordinator Endorsed PDP Presidential Candidate And PRO Endorsing APC Candidate”, said the purported endorsement does not represent the consensus of the student body in the zone.
The statement reads in part: “On Thursday, January 19, 2023, Comr. Ajao John, the Deputy Coordinator of NANS Zone D, announced the endorsement of the PDP Presidential Candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar by the South West Students and Awoyinfa Opeoluwa, the PRO who in his mind endorsed Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate.
“This met the leadership of NANS National and the leadership of NANS South West (Zone D) as an astonishment because it is not in the convention of the leadership of NANS for the Deputy Coordinator or the PRO to proclaim such an endorsement without the express approval of the Coordinator of the Zone and other students leaders and stakeholders.
“There are other NANS National leaders and stakeholders in the South West. All these leaders were not aware and the self-endorsement came to all as a shock.
“NANS Zone D and the Leaders and Stakeholders in the zone have forthwith refuted the kangaroo endorsement and assured the students of the South West that they would never be traded for peanuts in exchange for their destinies and hopeful tomorrow.
“NANS is an independent body and it’s bigger than any individual student at all times. It would therefore be inappropriate for an individual student or student leader to endorse anyone on the behalf of millions of South West students. The endorsement hence does not hold water and it has been considered as a deceit of the highest order because the said leader proclaiming the endorsement does not, as a student leader, have the outright authority and power to do so.”
The group restated NANS independence and emphasized that its leadership remains independent and would always carry the students along in whatever decision they would want to make that would either affect them directly or indirectly.
The statement added, “NANS South West (Zone D) Students have not endorsed anyone and will never do that, without seeking the consent of students, students leaders and stakeholders alike. The rightful person to declare an endorsement of the students in the Zone, if need be, would have to be the Coordinator of the Zone in collaboration with other students leaders and stakeholders of the Zone.”
