As part of concerted efforts to provide credible reports and reviews on the candidates and the electoral process of the UISU, UCJUI under its Election Watch Room Initiative reached out to UI’ SU Vice-President Aspirant, Olabisi Owadayo. In this exclusive chat with UCJ correspondents, Olabisi share her plans for UITES.
UCJ: Good day everyone. Welcome to this seventh interview of the UCJUI Election Watch Room interview session. Today, we have with us one of the Vice-Presidential aspirants, Miss Olabisi Owadayo.
Olabisi: Good afternoon everyone. My name is Olabisi Owadayo. I’m a 400 level student of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan. I am an aspirant for the position of vice president of the student union.
Reporter: Nice. Thank you. So can you tell us more about the office that you’re running for?”
Olabisi: Okay. So constitutionally, according to the provision of the student union constitution, the position of the vice president is the second in the executive committee and according to the provision of article five of the constitution there are five duties under the vice president. One, she is the chairperson of the student union week. She is the chairperson of the academic committee of the union. The third duty, she is to advise the president in the execution of his duty. She is to work instead of the president in case the president is not around and also automatically become the president in situations where he either resigns or he is impeached or things like that”.
Reporter: Okay. While you were listing the duties, you used “she is”/”he is”. Does the constitution state a gender for each of the positions?
Olabisi: No, that’s a mistake on my part. My apologies. So he or she
Reporter: Okay. You listed quite a number of duties that are actually expected of the vice president and it’s quite a lot to be very honest. So what makes you think you are the appropriate candidate for this role? Why?
Olabisi: All right. Quite a number of things make me confident in my ability to perform in this position and I will start with [my] capacity and experience. I am a person who is quite experienced in leadership and I’ve shown this in many leadership positions that I’ve led on campus. To mention a few, I’m the current president of my faculty literary and debating society. I’m also the chairperson of TLDS external competitions committee. My committee is in charge of representing UI at external competitions and we’ve consistently brought glory to UI. Last session, I was the vice president of the largest student organization on campus that’s TLDS, The Literary and Debating Society U.I., and also the chairperson of the planning committee and chairperson of Ibadan literary festival and there are quite a number of things [and] quite a number of positions that have served in on campus and this precedent, this track record make me very confident in my leadership skills and in my ability to lead people and get the job done.
Reporter: Thank you. So now you’ve listed plenty of leadership experience, quite impressive but the question is if you have this much experience and you’re confident in your capabilities, why are you running for vice president why not president?
Olabisi: Alright. Are you asking me this because of my gender or because of my experience?
Reporter: Okay. So, we’re asking this question because it has become a precedent in UISU elections that only females run for the vice president position. And recently, UCJ published a long report, an extensive one detailing this fact. And the last time a female attempted to run for president, it didn’t go well. So, if you have this much experience, these capabilities, why are you settling for vice president?”.
Olabisi: All right. You make it sound like I’m settling for the lesser position with what you said.. So I would like to make a correction [to the question] and say “why have I decided to?” I’m not settling for it.
All right. I’ve made a decision to go for it and I’m glad that you made reference to the publication that UCJ made because I really love that publication and I’ll personally make reference to what Nafisat said in that interview and in that publication. She said women go for VP as a result of interest and choice. So this is where my interest lies. This is the choice that I’ve decided to make. And the second thing I would say to respond to your question is many of the plans and a bulk of the plans that I have for the students community are tailored towards the office that I am vying for.
UCJ: Okay. Nice. So can you share some of these plans with us?
Olabisi: All right. So I would have to ask you to wait for the Manifesto Night for you to get it in the full details but I would give you a preamble; something like a preamble
My agenda, the light agenda, is a student focused agenda and this is the point where unionism and my passionate leadership meet. My plans are all tailored towards illuminating the path from where we are as a student community to where we can be and I present five points under the agenda First is general welfarism. So my plans are tailored towards the general welfare of the student and the things that affect us as a student community. And under it we have things like accommodation, water supply and health. And like I said, I would not be able to go into details right now. Two, we have the finances of students. Three, we have academics. Four, we have career and skill development. And finally, we have entertainment. So basically my plans are tailored towards everything that affects us as a student community and as individuals on campus.
UCJ: Okay. Thank you very much. So you’ve mentioned some of your plans or at least a framework of your plans and we would want to believe that anybody who’s going for a position wants to make an impact. In a framework where you are closely tied to the president and subordinated, do you think that you can achieve something tangible?
Olabisi: Yes I believe I can achieve something impactful and I would make reference to two things. One, as an executive committee or as an executive body, we have individuals that are working in their positions. We have the President, we have the VP, the PRO, House Secretary and the rest. Each individual has their own plans contained in their manifestos and what they intend to do for the student body. So, conventionally, what happens or what ought to happen is when a new tenure begins, the committee is supposed to find a way to fuse the plans of each person into one working plan. So everyone is working with one vision and one plan.
I know conventionally that’s how things happen and the second thing I’m going to say to respond to your question is [that] this is not my first time going for the position of vice president. This is my second [time]. I was the vice president of TLDS last session, and the example I gave or the scenario that I painted earlier was exactly what happened while I served as Vice President of TLDS. My President found a way to bring all our manifesto plans into one and ensure that each office fulfilled the promise that we made to the student body.
UCJ: Okay. I’ll just ask a brief follow-up question. You’ve referenced a lot of leadership positions that you’ve held earlier. Do you think you are ready for the uplift in scale [to the student union level]? You’ve referenced TLDS quite a number of times, but the Union is on a grand scale. How do you think you can bridge the gap? What do you think your previous experience would do for you going forward?
Olabisi: Yes, I believe so. And trust me, anyone who decides to go for a position in the student union, whether the AGS or the president, [such person] must have prepared themselves mentally and emotionally and psychologically for that kind of responsibility. It is something that they must have meditated upon over and over and ask themselves real, realistic, and honest and sincere questions. Are you really ready for this? Are you really ready to make those sacrifices? Are you really ready to handle the pressure that would come with the position? And if you have gone through this process of reflecting and meditating and you have still decided to come forth, that means have tried to prepare yourself psychologically for the responsibility. I would say that is one thing that I have done personally.
Two, you mentioned something about how my experience would help me. I’m currently in 400 level like I mentioned earlier but right from my 100 level I have been very active in leadership positions. I’ve served in one leadership position or the other. Right from being course rep in the faculty of education up until being president of my faculty’s LnD right now. And one thing that I can say for certain reflecting on my journey so far is growth and development. These leadership positions have built in me certain qualities, certain skills and a high level of capacity that I know that I would be able to handle what I am vying for
UCJ: Thank you very much. So still on the roles you’ve played in TLDS, we’ve noted that a long list of people that contest for SU positions often have a background in TLDS whether at the union level or at the constituency level. So do you think there is a correlation between being in TLDS and quality leadership?”.
Olabisi: I would answer that by saying that handling TLDS is a lot and like I mentioned earlier it just builds in you certain skills and qualities. It prepares you for life really because you have to handle so many things. You have to handle so much pressure and all. Especially organizing jaw war and everything. It builds in you qualities and prepares you for life. So yeah, I strongly believe that serving in TLDS builds quality leaders.
UCJ: Okay, but your opponent is also a TLDS person. Is this you saying, you guys are bringing the same quality?
Olabisi: TLDS alone did not build me. I might not have mentioned my entire portfolio because of time and all but I do not ascribe my growth, development, skills and qualities to TLDS alone. There are quite a number of factors responsible for that.
UCJ: All right. So earlier when you were talking about the five points in your light agenda. You mentioned general welfarism and everything that affects us as students. Over the past seven months, students have protested for different things such as fee hike and electricity rationing. If you eventually assume this office, what do you think you would do to solve these problems?
Olabisi: So you mentioned two problems. One, fee hike and two, electricity among other issues but making reference to instances you already gave, I would ensure that if I eventually emerge as Vice President, I would ensure that I, alongside other members of my executive committee, represent the interest of students adequately to the school management and make them see our pain. If it is to prepare infographics to that effect, we would ensure that we take every means possible and take every measure possible for adequate representation of students needs and condition of living on campus
UCJ: Thank you very much, Ms. Olabisi. Going into realistic matters, you can see that there are some school of thought on campus that sees the current union as not doing well enough in representing the interest of the students? So what is your vision in this regard? What do you think UI’SU should be [or should be doing]?
Olabisi: All right. So, I want to see a student community where our voices are not just heard but we are taken serious. Because I believe that the union right now is representing our interest to the school management because we have heard reports of meetings. At least, the last protest that we had over the hike in school fees, they had meetings upon meetings with the school management. So we are not naive. We know that they are aware of our grievances. They are aware of our needs. They are aware of what we are pleading for. So it’s not really a matter of insufficiency in representation.
So my vision for the union is a student community where we are not just heard but our needs are taken seriously and that is the kind of leadership quality that I want to show and these are the things that I want to do upon emergence as the Vice President.
UCJ: Okay. Still on welfare, because these are the touching points that affect a lot of students and as upcoming leaders we have to see that you’re actually concerned about what students are going through. I would like you to briefly comment on the ABH light issue?
Olabisi: It’s deplorable. It’s terrible honestly. Over 80 days without light. No one should be subjected to that kind of living condition and our government should do better. They ought to do better. We are students [and] these are medical student for that matter. These are future caregivers. These are future doctors and they should not be subject [to this]. I mean this condition affects basic hygiene. No light means no water and no water means no feeding. It affects basic hygiene. So it’s terrible. Very terrible.
UCJ: Agreed. It’s a very terrible situation. There was a protest at ABH, where students were protesting against the issue [of electricity] and I believe you were involved in the protest?
Olabisi: Yes, I was there.
UCJ: Okay. There was a trend that came up and we saw that student politicians who were vying for positions got involved in the protest and they took pictures of themselves protesting. This a sensitive issue that has the welfare of these students at heart but [student] politicians use these images to campaign. Some [of] these students believe they are being exploited for political gain. There were also similar images of you. What do you have to say about that?
Olabisi: I would say it’s an issue or a matter of perception and as you rightly said photos of me in the protest might have been seen. So it is an issue of perception and how you might have viewed that effort because to me, honestly, I believe that the message we’re trying to pass to the student community is to let you know that we are leaders that feel your pains. We are leaders that will stand with you. We are leaders that are here to adequately and sufficiently represent your interest, even if it is to leave our comfort zone and hit the street to protest on your behalf. Because many of us that joined the protest are not being affected, but we are students like you and we understand your pain. And that is the message that we’re trying to pass across to the student community. That we will stand with you. Even if it is to protest.
UCJ: But do you think it is appropriate for you, the light agenda, using a picture of you holding a give us light placard with your signature graphics? We get the pun there. Do you think it is actually appropriate”
Olabisi: Okay. Like I think I already mentioned this but like I would like to ask for clarity’s sake again. Is the issue of appropriateness from what was written on the placard or the picture itself or publicizing the picture. Because there are three issues here.
UCJ: The appropriateness is at the center of everything because that was probably not the only picture you took there, but you decided to use that picture. Yes, we get that you’re sympathizing with ABH. You’re standing with people that are suffering. But is the whole idea of using a picture from a protest to promote your agenda appropriate?
Olabisi: Okay. Like I said earlier, should I say the issue or the bone of contention or the conflicting issue here now is what was viewed and the perception of how it was taken.
So the message that my team was trying to pass through that broadcast is showing clearly that we stand with you. We are here. It wasn’t necessarily to promote the campaign but rather to promote the motive which is [that] we stand with you and we would represent your interest [with] any means necessary.
UCJ: Okay. We’re asking this question because some students particularly the ones that affected felt things like that are insensitive to their plight and as leaders, prospective UISU executive members, we thought that it would only be okay if you take into consideration these things. You can’t control people’s perception but definitely you can control what you put out there.
When you were listing your plans, you also mentioned entertainment and this brings us to what seems to be the key duty of the VP atleast as popularized by previous position holders – the UI’SU week. So in recent times the UISU week has become this event that has to be done and considering the report we get on budget [and] how much was spent on it, do you think the event has become too extravagant?
Olabisi: Actually in sincerity, all I see in the union’s week is consistency. The things that were done this year are the same things that were done last session. The things that were done last session were the same things that were done two sessions ago. Okay, Nafisat introduced a few new things but I think the only difference or I would say where the difference might have been seen or might have reflected would be the state of the economy. This is because things are getting more expensive. So it’s not really a fault on the office but rather a fault on the country’s economy.
UCJ: Okay. So now that we’ve acknowledged that the economy is a general evil that we can’t avoid, rather than spending that [huge amount of] money on those events, don’t you think the money should be channeled into other projects? Indy Press has been publishing about the situation of drainages in Indy and there are other problems in other hostels. Even the SU Building is not in its finest state.
Olabisi: Well, I would say that they are not mutually exclusive. We would have to first consider the money and consider finances and fundraising. But can we not have both or can we not have it both ways? We can have the union week and also have attention being paid to the things that affecting our welfare like the structures of our building, the state of Indy Hall, like you mentioned, and state of other halls of residence. Like I mentioned earlier, when I was explaining my plans, my plans are cut across every aspect that affect us. General welfarism and entertainment as well because all work and no play makes Jack the dull boy.
UCJ: Okay. So we see aspirants with a lot of energy during the campaign period but when these people get elected, it goes down a downward spiral. Why should we think you’ll be different from precedence?
Olabisi: Okay. I would answer that question by making reference to my precedence. I personally have a track record of delivering what I promise or delivering on my promises and I can say for a fact that at least contesting for TLDS VP, I had to write a manifesto and present my manifesto before the student body or the Senate. Even after Jaw War, we were all already tired and just wanted to hand over but I still insisted that we organize the Ibadan Literary Festival and [that] we published the first edition of the magazine and gave the awards. Not that we had a lot of money. We still had to raise the funds for it even after Jaw War. We had spent so much but because these were part of what I had promised the student community, it was very necessary for me to fulfill them.
So that’s just one reference point of what I have done and what I can do. So like I said, I can only speak for myself and I know for a certain that if I’m making promises, I will definitely fulfil.
UCJ: Okay. I believe this is you telling U.I. stidents that if elected, you plan to follow through with all you said you will do.
So, basically I think you should agree with me that student leaders are a bridge between the management and students. Do you agree with me on that?
Olabisi: I agree with you.
UCJ: So what do you think it means when you say student leaders are a bridge between management and students?
Olabisi: Okay. It’s like saying the placenta is the bridge between the mother and the fetus. The mother cannot directly reach her fetus and the fetus cannot directly reach the mother but the placenta connects the both of them together. So I think that scenario or illustration already explains. The average U.I. student might not be able to confidently walk into the school senate or into the office of the VC but the executive body have that privilege by virtue of the position that they serve in. So the student union being the bridge is basically the student union representing the interest, [and] the needs of the students to the school management.
UCJ: Okay. So when there is a discrepancy between the interest of the students and the interest of the management, how do you think you manage that?
Olabisi: So I would need you to rephrase because when I said representing the interest, I meant the student interest to the school. Then I would need you to come again with your question. The reference being that the interest that I’m talking about here is the student interest and not the management.
UCJ: So the question is that the student has an interest and there is a possibility that the interest of the student does not tally with that of the management and this can blow out of proportion. So if you are a student leader in this scenario representing the student, how would you manage that situation?
Olabisi: All right. I would like to make reference to the fact that conflicting interest is a humanity thing. It’s not a student and management specific thing. It’s something that is generic to humanity and human relations. So there would always be conflicting interest whether we like it or not and in rare cases would you ever find two bodies agree on the same point.
So using my knowledge as a law student, there’s something we call ADR, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and one of them is negotiation and this also falls under one of the C’s of the student union which is consultation. So in our bid as the student union [and] as student leaders in consulting with the school management, there is the point where they make their points clear. They make their interest clear. We represent the students interest and we try to negotiate and we try to find a ground that would preferably work for both sides.
UCJ: All right. Thank you very much, Ms. Olabisi. Lastly, we would like to know what you think about hall endorsement? Do they translate to proof of quality?
Olabisi: Well, I’m a resident of Queen Elizabeth II hall, and I cannot speak for other hostels, but I can speak for how it’s done in my hostel. So before my hostel came out to openly support me, we had gone through series of meetings, screenings, presentations and everything where I’ve had to make them see reasons why they should support me and also to prove myself to them that I have the qualities that make a good leader and a good VP and the kind of leader that UI needs. So with what my hall has done, I can say for a fact that their endorsement is a proof of my quality as a good leader.
UCJ: So we should assume that when a hall endorses a person, it’s because they have verified the person’s quality?”
Olabisi: Like I said, I cannot speak for other hostels [but] I can speak for Queens hall
UCJ: All right. Thank you very much. This has been fun and enlightening.
Olabisi: Thank you very much for having me.
• This interview is part of a special series on the dynamics of the 2025 Students’ Union Election by the Union of Campus Journalists under its Election Watch Room Initiative.
