AAPOLY Students Lament Election Irregularities, Plan To Stage Protest On Monday

Reported by Richard infotorch

Students of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic have made lots of complaints about the just concluded Student Union election which was held at the multipurpose hall of the institution

In the just concluded Student Union election, campus life learnt that Ajumobi Oluwatola who polled 614 votes was declared winner over his opponent Fanika Olatunde who garnered 612 votes

Our correspondents gathered that Nan’s observers and former student Union leaders of the institution were shut out from the voting hall.

Campus life gathered that students alleged that the election was full of irregularities some of which included the method of voting which was not recognized at the point of accreditation and voting.

It was gathered that the criteria for voting for the ND I and HND1 students’ is library identity card, acceptance fee receipt, school fee receipt and school Identity card, this is also applicable to all ND 2 and HND2 students’ except the use of acceptance fee.

Speaking to a student who doesn’t want her name to appear in paper, she said that the Cisco published list which was supposed to have the names of all students was incomplete and made some students unable to vote.

“The CISCO unit promised to print out the names of students and it was later discovered that some students’ names were not on the list which made it difficult for some students to vote” she said.

Our correspondents who spoke to the Cisco director of the institution, Mrs Olaojoyetan, gathered that a list of students who have paid for school fees and acceptance fee as of Wednesday evening was given to the electoral committee.

“The list presented to the electoral committee contained list of ND1 and HND1 students’ that was able to pay their acceptance fee as of Wednesday and ND 2 and HND2 comprehensive payment list was also given to them”

“According to the management,only those who were able to pay at least acceptance fee for ND I and HND1 will be eligible to vote and also the ND 2 and HND2 school fees payment for last year will make them eligible, we did it this way because only few students have paid their tuition fee since we resumed”

While speaking on the inability for students’ to vote even with their identity card, she said

“It is not possible for you to have made payments, have your library identity card your name won’t be on the list, even if we have such situation, the electoral committee should be able to allow such student vote with the library identity card which confirms evidence of payment”

Students alleged that some Alias which will make students identify their supporters were not properly written making it difficult for some voters to identify their candidate which led to a high number of voids in the election result.

Campus life observed that students were handpicked to come into the voting hall and there was was forceful entrance in to the hall. It was also observed that students of the science laboratory technology department who left the voting area because of their inability to vote was called back by the Director of students affairs, Mr otuewu.

Students accused the electoral Chairman,Mr Okulenu who also doubles as the director of social management and business studies (SMBS) of the institution to have rigged the election

Speaking to the treasurer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D, Comrade Emmanuel, popularly known as Aboki, he said that the management was wrong to have appointed a management staff, Mr Okulenu, to head the electoral committee. He went ahead to say that there’s the possibility for the election to be rigged.

” It is called student Union Government and not Management’s Student Union Government. A student is expected to head the electoral committee and not a management staff. It can be easily influenced if such staff is interested in a candidate” he said.

The electoral committee chairman, Mr Okulenu, have refused to speak to our correspondents as at the time of filing this report

In a video proof, two void votes were added to the presidential result in favour of Ajumobi Oluwatola, which was initially a tie.

However, Campus life gathered students’ have decided to stage a peaceful protest on monday to express their grievances to the school management

The Rector of the institution, Prof. Bilsanmi told our correspondents over a telephone interview that the election was free and fair and no irregularities was recorded.

” All the security agencies were on ground and everybody confirmed it was free and fair and there was no irregularities” she said