Ogun Student Leaders Remove NANS Chairman, Four Others Over Eligibility Issues
ABEOKUTA – Student Union leaders across tertiary institutions in Ogun State have approved the removal of the Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the state, alongside four other executive members, over alleged constitutional breaches and eligibility concerns.
The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an extraordinary meeting of the NANS Ogun State Joint Campus Committee (JCC) Senators, held on Monday in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The communiqué made available to journalists on Tuesday said the ousted NANS Chairman, Francis Abiola Gabriel and four others violated the eligibility section of the NANS constitution.
According to the document, which was jointly signed by student leaders from various tertiary institutions in the state, the affected officials were found to have violated provisions of the NANS constitution, particularly regarding eligibility to hold office.
Those removed include the Chairman, Francis Abiola Gabriel; Deputy Chairman, Gbohunmi Zinsu; Vice Chairman (Special Duties), Ademuwagun Sunday Olalekan; Secretary, Adeola Hezekiah; and Assistant General Secretary, Amodu Imodola Junaid.
The senators stated that investigations revealed that some of the officials were no longer full-time students at the time they contested for office, while others had already graduated contrary to constitutional requirements.
Citing relevant sections of the NANS constitution, the communiqué emphasized that only bona fide full-time students excluding first-year students are eligible to hold executive positions within the association.
It further noted that any officeholder found to have been unqualified at the time of election must be removed immediately.
Specifically, the senators alleged that Gabriel was enrolled in a part-time programme, while Zinsu and Hezekiah had graduated as far back as 2022.
Olalekan, a student of the National Open University of Nigeria, was also deemed ineligible due to the institution’s part-time structure, while Junaid was identified as a part-time student at Lagos State University.
As a result, the senators declared all actions taken by the affected officials including a bye-election conducted in December 2025 null and void.
In the interim, the senators announced the appointment of Comrade Kolawole Sodiq, a 500-level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, as the Acting Chairman of NANS in Ogun State.
They noted that Sodiq, who previously served as the Public Relations Officer of the Ogun NANS JCC, had duly declared his intention to contest for the chairmanship position and met all constitutional requirements.
“Comrade Sodiq, who had properly declared his intent and met constitutional requirements for the chairmanship position is a bonafide 500 level full-time student of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; he is hereby directed to assume the office of Acting Chairman of NANS Ogun State JCC with immediate effect.
“The meeting reaffirmed NANS’ commitment to upholding its constitution and preserving the integrity of the student movement, emphasizing the importance of adhering to constitutional provisions and ensuring that only eligible individuals hold leadership positions within the association”, the communique submitted.
The meeting reaffirmed the association’s commitment to upholding its constitution and maintaining the integrity of the student movement, stressing that only duly qualified individuals should occupy leadership positions.
