The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), through its Vice President for Inter-Campus Affairs, Tabitha Babayo, has condemned the alleged move by the management of the Federal University, Kashere (FUK) in Gombe State, to constitute the institution’s student representative council through appointments instead of elections.
In a statement issued by the NANS national headquarters, the association described the reported process as “unacceptable” and a violation of democratic principles and students’ rights to elect their representatives.
According to the statement, the student representative council derives its legitimacy from a free, fair, credible, and transparent electoral process, arguing that any attempt to appoint student representatives undermines democratic governance, suppresses students’ voices, and could create unnecessary tension within the university community.
NANS maintained that it would not accept what it described as the institutionalisation of anti-democratic practices in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The association called on the management of the Federal University, Kashere, to immediately halt any process aimed at appointing student representative council members and instead commence preparations for a democratic election in line with established procedures.
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The student body also appealed to the NANS national president, the NANS Zone E coordinator, security agencies, the university’s student affairs division, the Gombe State government, the Federal Ministry of Education, and other stakeholders to intervene and ensure that students’ democratic rights are protected.
Reaffirming its commitment to defending students’ interests, NANS stated that it would continue to pursue lawful and constitutional means to safeguard democratic representation on campuses across the country.
The association urged the university management to reverse the reported decision, insisting that student representation should be determined through the ballot rather than administrative appointments.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of the Federal University, Kashere, had not issued an official response to the allegations raised by NANS.
