By: Abdulrahman Adebayo
Several weeks after the conduct of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union elections, the electoral commission has received mixed ratings from various organs within the institution.
While some commended the electoral commission, others lampooned it for alleged undemocratic conduct.
In a letter signed by the Vice-Chancellor, Kayode Adebowale, on behalf of the school management, members of the commission were acclaimed for what the VC described as outstanding performance.
He noted that the success recorded in the preparation and eventual conduct of the elections was not unconnected from the “commitment, dedication and non-partisan disposition in the whole electoral process” of members of the committee.
“The University gladly acknowledges your brilliant contributions in this regard and is indeed proud of you. With your clear demonstration of high sense of dedication and commitment to assigned duties, one is not in doubt that you are intelligent and trustworthy,” the letter reads in part.
While the Vice-Chancellor’s remarks created an impression that members of the electoral commission discharged their duties flawlessly, the Students’ Representative Council of the Students’ Union viewed it from a different perspective.
UCJUI gathered that the council, after a review of the committee’s activities, found traces of financial misappropriation, a serious allegation that negates the high emphasis the school places on character.
“There were reports that the commission went ahead to procure items that were not approved in their budget by the council. They were asked to present their financial report to the House which they failed to do,” the Speaker of the 9th Assembly, Eniola Olatoye told UCJUI.
She also revealed that there are allegations that the committee unjustly disqualified some aspirants during the screening process.
“The 8th Assembly deferred this to the 9th Assembly and we are yet to have our first sitting,” Eniola added.
The 8th assembly of the Council had earlier resolved to conduct an investigation into the allegations. However, the matter has been deferred to the 9th assembly whose inaugural sitting would hold today, December 11.
“We Are Not Answerable To The SRC”
When contacted, the Secretary of the electoral commission, Olabiyi Idris dismissed the allegations, arguing that the commission was not ‘answerable’ to the SRC.
“The budget we presented to the SRC, they did anyhow. We then told the management that if we are going to work with the budget, we are not going to have a successful election at all. We went to the management and they told us not to worry,” Olabiyi said.
Idris maintained that even though the SRC mandated the commission to present a report, they don’t plan to do so.
“They were mandating us to submit a report or we would face the SDC. Now, the problem is that the electoral committee chairman is the Deputy Registrar of the Students’ affairs. As the Secretary of the committee, I told the clerk of the House to write a letter, addressing it to the chairman and that is when I would be able to acknowledge it.
“They say if we don’t bring the report we would face the SDC but I replied that would the chairman of the commission who is the Students Affairs Deputy Registrar also face the committee?”
Idris mocked the council’s decision to investigate the commission, saying “they are not even the ones that constituted us in the first place.”
