‘SUG not banned in Ado Ekiti poly’

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has said no polytechnic will be allowed to proscribe Students’ Union Government (SUG) in the country for whatever reason.

NAPS debunked that the authority of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, has disbanded SUG over a crisis that erupted on campus on Saturday during the stalemated SUG elections conducted by the students.

Speaking to journalists on Monday in Ado Ekiti, the NAPS National Senate President, Sunday Adekanbi in collaboration with Civil Society groups, said the Polytechnic didn’t ban unionism, but only suspended the election for the sake of peace.

“The NAPS leadership was on ground to observe the election and we saw how students carried sticks and bottles when they sensed that election has been compromised.

“Only electioneering process was embargoed, because it was degenerating into anarchy and not unionism. NAPS leadership won’t be a party to such and will not tolerate proscription or banning of unionism in any campus,” he said.

The students however, agreed with the action taken by the management of the polytechnic, in suspending election on campus until there is a peaceful atmosphere.

According to them, the action taken by the Rector, Dr. Hephzibar Oladebeye, when the election was perceived to have been marred with irregularities and leading to unrest in campus, helped to checkmate violence that could have led to loss of lives and property.

He said it was the act of over-voting where votes were more than the number of accredited students that led to the unrest and cancellation of the election.

“We hereby urge all stakeholders and dissenting voices to shun all forms of acrimony and work together for the sake of the institution,” adding that “anybody who does anything contrary will be tagged enemy of Nigerian students,” he said.