“Allow us to go; we have overstayed our tenure,” Akeju writes Management

By ‘ Damilare Ajiboye

Akeju Olusegun, the Students’ Union president, has in a letter written to the Dean of Students, Prof. A. Abiona, asked the University of Ibadan management to discharge his administration, UCJ UI has gathered.

Akeju, who assumed office on December 17, 2019, two years after the suspension of the Students Union by the erstwhile vice-chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka following students’ demand for the issuance of the school ID cards, has, so far, spent eighteen months in office. This is double the nine months that was agreed to be spent before the conduct of a new election. 

Only after eighteen months and counting, Akeju had in conjunction with his executives written to Prof. Abiona stating that he has overstayed his tenure and demanded that a new election to usher in a different set of student union executives be conducted.

Confirming the receipt of the letter, Prof. Abiona, while speaking at a meeting with students’ leaders across departments, faculties and halls of residence on Thursday, June 10, 2021, said he had received a letter sent by the Akeju-led administration about their eagerness to leave office, and that he has forwarded same to the vice-chancellor who has approved the conduct of a new election. 

“I have received a letter from this administration, and I have written to the vice-chancellor about it. I am glad to announce to you that within a week or two from now, it will be announced that the gate is now open for students to contest for different positions.”

On his part, the deputy dean of students, Dr Demola Lewis, while commending the Akeju-led administration, said that members of the administration have been very responsible and that if he had his ways, he would have wanted them to continue. 

“The Akeju-led regime or administration or whatever name you choose to call it has been very responsible. Left to me, I will just let them continue. They wrote to us that they had overstayed their tenure. Prompted by their letter, the Dean also wrote to the vice-chancellor. So it’s not as if they don’t want to leave; they are also eager to leave office.”   

As of the time of this report, it is still unclear whether when the university declares the SU election open, its overnight regulation of having only students on first class and second class upper academic grade contest the election will be maintained. The sudden regulation, amongst others, had disqualified different aspirants in the last election, and left some of the executive positions vacant up till today.