UISU Elections: “Vote For Mascot”— Political Agents Take Over UI, Canvass Illegally

By Adebayo Abdulrahman 

“Boss, have you voted,” a dark-skinned guy with a nose mask covering his chin asked this reporter and another UCJUI correspondent as they stepped out of Sultan Bello Hall a few minutes after noon. 

The process to elect the next leadership of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union began around 8 am earlier in the day, an indication that all campaign activities should have stopped. 

But as this reporter stopped to respond to the student, who later identified himself as Olaoye Ahmed, it became evident that they were not just interested in whether passers-by had voted; they were also canvassing for a Presidential candidate, an action that clearly contravenes the electoral guidelines of the union. 

“We want you to vote for Mascot,” the eager Ahmed and his friend began. “As long as you have your passwords, we’ll help you vote.” 

“But I am undecided about who to vote for,” this reporter said pretentiously. Smiling, Ahmed, who thought this reporter was a Bellite, argued that he should vote for Adewole Yinka, popularly known as Mascot because “Bello Hall has endorsed him.”

“Bello, Idia, Awo, (have endorsed him). if you now go and vote for another person that means you are wasting your vote,” his colleague echoed his argument. 

This reporter went further, this time around changing his view, “But na Richard me I wan vote for o,” he said. 

“Na mascot o,” they both echoed. 

“Shey you don’t know ni. If you vote for another person, you go just waste your vote. If you call anybody for Agbowo, they would tell you na Mascot.

“Even (when) I chatted with someone, I can show you the message, the person asked that is he the only guy contesting. Since he is the only one they are seeing campaigning for this thing.” 

When asked whether their action is illegal, considering the timing, they argued that it was. 

“It’s just like you are using another person’s phone to log in. If you use my phone to login to Facebook, Is it my name that would show or your name,” Ahmed asked rhetorically. 

“There’s nothing like I want to get your password and use it. This thing you can only use it just once and once you use it, that’s all. The next year, they would still generate for another one,” he stated before noting that he has done something similar for ten students since the election commenced earlier in the day. 

He added that there are students in various parts of the school premises who have been charged with a similar responsibility to ensure Mascot emerges as the winner of the election. 

Mascot Reacts

When contacted, Mascot denied that his supporters are stationed in various parts of the institution trying to convince or help students vote. 

“The campaign has stopped since yesterday. I don’t think they are for Mascot because I told them,” he told UCJUI over the phone. 

He explained further that the only thing he supports is that “when people have issues they should be taken down to either Abubakar Abdulsalam Hall or the electoral commission office.” 

When asked for the identity of those that should take people down, he responded that “they should go themselves; that’s the normal thing.”

When UCJUI explained that it has multimedia evidence to back up the allegations, he insisted that such action was not authorised by him because it’s not right.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *