A final-year student of Tai Solarin University of Education in Ogun State, identified as Akinjetah Hammed Emmanuel, has expressed concern about alleged irregularities in the university's preparations for upcoming students' union elections.
This was contained in a letter Mr. Emmanuel wrote to the university's Vice Chancellor, seeking sanity and strict adherence to procedures under the ambit of the law during the elections.
In his letter, Mr. Emmanuel alleged that the university management had rectified the appointment of Okedeji Akinwunmi as the chairman of ITEC, the body statutorily set up to conduct students’ union elections in the school.
Emmanuel went on to say that Akinwunmi was a victim of electoral fraud during the 2018/2019 academic year and was apprehended by security officers. He said Akinwunmi was disqualified and barred from running in elections by the security unit, but he was nominated as compensation.
The letter continued, “To start with, we decried and wrote petition against the nomination of the current ITEC chairman, Okedeji Akinwunmi, and the need for his removal. He, (the ITEC chairman) was a victim of electoral malpractice in the 2018/2019 academic session and was apprehended by security officers. This same Okedeji Akinwunmi was disqualified by the security unit and debarred from contesting elections yet he was nominated as compensation.
“Again, the same electoral commission headed Okedeji Akinwunmi is guilty of altering our student union constitution by changing the constitutionally required CGPA for contesting to GP. An abuse taken too far
“Sir, permit me to also draw your attention to the just concluded college elections which were marred by several discrepancies in the number of accredited voters versus the number of total votes cast alongside other incoherent figures as released by the ICT department.
“I have also watched the flow of trends towards the forthcoming election, the height of vote buying, bullying, intimidation and other forms of electoral malpractices. I can only appeal that the university through its ICT department ensure stiffer accreditation methods before voting and the below suggestions are implemented. I am of the strong belief that the suggestions below will help the electioneering process to be credible and transparent:
“That the said token issued before election day should not be used.
“That an OTP be sent at the point of voting with an expiration time of 3 minutes.
“That students go through their various portals before voting and no link should access the voting site directly.
“That candidate's agents are permitted to see voting progression of each candidate.
“I am appreciative of the recent development in voting system. I strongly believe that if the ICT sticks by its recent rules and the above suggestions, they will help us reduce electoral malpractice to its barest minimum.
“It is my sincere interest that our union regains its trust, first through credible and transparent election and secondly, through your fatherly intervention.”
“I will be looking forward to getting a favorable response from you and look forward to working with you in the coming student's union administration,” the letter added.