By Adesina Wahab

Six out of the 10 student leaders who voted on Saturday to elect a new leadership for the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Joint Campus Council, JCC, Lagos Axis, have rejected attempt to manipulate the result of the election.

In a statement on Sunday evening, the group, under the aegis of Concerned Senators of NANS JCC, Lagos Axis, alleged attempt by the Convention Chairman, who was the umpire, to overturn the choice made by the people who voted.

The student leaders are Adikaibe Emmanuel Chimezim of St Augustine College of Education, Omogunle Monday Igbekele of Yaba College of Technology, David Gabriel O of Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Oladokun Sodiq Olaide of Lagos State College of Nursing, Adebayo Korede Peter of Lagos State University and Bolaji Olatubosun Akinpelu of the University of Lagos.

The election had 10 student leaders from 10 tertiary institutions in the state as the senators to elect a new chairman.

The student leaders said, “On Saturday, March 28,2026, a duly convened convention was held at the Federal College of Education, Akoka to elect new leadership of NANS JCC, Lagos Axis, the coordinating body for all NANS activities in Lagos. The chairmanship was first to be done. It was in the presence of security agencies like the Director of State Service, the Nigeria Police among others. That was to ensure transparency and fairness.

“The two contenders were Comrade Odewunmi Quadri who had six votes and Comrade Rilwan Ajayi who had four votes. However, the convention chairman declared another result saying it was a tie of 5-5. He then went ahead to say he would use his veto power to declare a winner contrary to what actually happened and the tenets of the constitution of NANS. His action was also contrary to the will of the majority.

“We are saying unequivocally that there was no tie in the votes. No constitutional provision in the NANS constitution that grants power to a convention chairman to override the votes duly cast by senators and we are saying that any attempt to manipulate the result of the exercise would amount to a nullity and would be voided because the will of the majority must prevail.”