The Campaign for Socialist Movement (CSM), University of Ibadan branch, has commended students for their participation in the May 6 protest over the persistent electricity and water shortages on campus, while criticising the university management and raising concerns over the coordination of the demonstration.
In a statement jointly signed by the Coordinator, Feranmi Gabriel, and the Secretary, Emmanuel Omolaye, the group described the protest as “another important moment in the history of student struggle and collective resistance” at the University of Ibadan.
The organisation stated that the protest was “both inevitable and long overdue,” arguing that students had endured worsening living conditions for months while the university management allegedly maintained silence over the situation.
According to the statement, students across halls of residence have continued to experience prolonged electricity outages and water supply challenges, with Tedder and Mellanby halls specifically referenced as examples of the deteriorating welfare conditions on campus.
“Students are subjected to unapologetic hardship and discomfort,” the statement read.
CSM also linked the May 6 protest to previous demonstrations organised by students in recent years, including the anti-fee protest led by the UI3 in May 2024, protests against proposed electricity rationing in July 2024, and the agitation by medical students at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, over a prolonged blackout in February 2025.
According to the group, the repeated demonstrations reflect what it described as a pattern of failure by the university management to prioritise students’ welfare.
Beyond the welfare concerns, the organisation raised issues regarding the coordination of the protest, stressing that effective organisation remains essential to the success of student demonstrations.
“It is a fact that cannot be overemphasised that coordination is what sets up a demonstration for success,” the statement noted, adding that protest coordination should remain in the hands of students rather than university management.
The group also criticised what it described as interference by the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Demola Lewis, during the protest.
“We have observed with concern the interference of the Dean of Students’ Affairs… Attempts by management representatives to distract or influence the course of an independent students’ movement amount to an encroachment on students’ democratic expression,” the statement added.
CSM further urged students not to remain passive on issues affecting their welfare, encouraging active participation and collective ownership in future protest actions and congresses.
“The strength of every struggle lies in the consciousness, involvement and organisational capacity of the student populace,” the group stated.
The statement concluded by urging students to remain steadfast and prepared to reconvene should the university management fail to fulfil the commitments made following the protest and Emergency Congress held on Wednesday.
The May 6 protest disrupted academic activities across several faculties as students demanded urgent intervention over the lack of electricity and water supply on campus. The demonstration eventually led to meetings between student leaders and university management, after which management committed to improving electricity supply, reopening the University Health Service (UHS) and finalising approval for the use of cooking gas in halls of residence.
