The South-West Zone of the National Association of Nigerian Students has dismissed claims that regional elders and stakeholders endorsed a consensus candidate for the 2026 NANS presidency.

The student body said the report, which alleged that the South-West Elders and Stakeholders Forum had adopted a presidential aspirant on behalf of the zone, was misleading and did not reflect the democratic structure of the association.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by former Chairman, NANS/JCC Oyo Axis, Niniola Toheeb; former Chairman, NANS/JCC Osun Axis, Omololu Abidoye; former Chairman, NANS/JCC Ogun Axis, Balogun Olawale; and former Secretary-General, NANS Zone D, Nwenonye Dennis.

The statement was made available to journalists on Wednesday.

The former student leaders said there was no constitutional provision empowering any group of elders or stakeholders to impose a candidate on the South-West zone or Nigerian students at large.

They warned that presenting such an endorsement as the official position of the zone amounted to a misrepresentation of the democratic reality within the student movement.

“There is no constitutional provision empowering a forum of ‘elders’ to impose a candidate on the zone or the nation. Presenting such an endorsement as the official decision of the South-West is a misrepresentation of the democratic reality within the student movement,” the statement read.

The group further cautioned against what it described as the growing commercialisation of the student movement.

According to them, allowing individuals who are no longer active students to influence the leadership of NANS could turn the association into a political marketplace.

“One of the greatest challenges confronting NANS today is the gradual commercialisation of the student struggle.

“When individuals who are no longer active students begin to determine who leads NANS, the association risks becoming a political marketplace and a bargaining platform for personal interests,” they stated.

The former leaders stressed that NANS was historically built on activism, resistance, and struggle against injustice, adding that external interference would weaken its moral authority.

They also urged aspirants seeking the NANS presidency to focus on presenting ideas and vision rather than relying on what they described as “manufactured endorsements.”

“Every aspirant has the constitutional right to contest and present ideas to Nigerian students. What should determine leadership is ideological clarity, commitment to student welfare, credible activism and vision for educational reform, not artificial endorsements,” they added.

The group called on Students’ Union presidents, who are delegates to the national convention, to remain committed to the constitutional process guiding the emergence of NANS leadership.

They maintained that the leadership of the association must emerge through transparent and credible elections.

“NANS is not for sale, and its leadership cannot be determined by a gathering of businessmen disguised as stakeholders,” the statement added.

The former leaders urged Nigerian students to remain committed to the principles of democracy, activism, transparency and constitutionalism in the leadership selection process.