SU ELECTION:AKEJU ATTACKED IN INDY HALL FOR CAMPAIGNING
Sadiq Tajud
Ganiyu Akeju, a presidential candidate for the University of Ibadan Students Union election, was attacked by some residents of Independence Hall when he went there for a door to door campaign around 8pm on Sunday November 24.
As witnessed by AFAS Press correspondent, those who attacked Akeju argued that he did not have any right to campaign in their hall because the hall already has an endorsed Presidential candidate for the students union.
It should be noted that Akeju is a resident of Nnamdi Azikwe Hall, and even there, he was not endorsed.
The attackers of Akeju said he did not ask for permission from the Administrator General of the hall before going to rooms to the campaign.
Meanwhile, a member of Akeju’s campaign team, Kayode Sodiq, was threatened when he challenged the AG on what the constitution says about allowing a candidate to freely campaign in other halls. They replied him saying, “we will beat you and nothing will happen.”
While speaking to AFAS PRESS correspondent, one of the residents of Indy hall, popularly known as Maazi stated his displeasure towards Akeju’s action.
He said, “We did not say he should not come to Indy Hall to campaign, but if he wants to do that he should go to the front of the cafeteria, not going from room to room.
We have our candidate too. Nobody will welcome an outsider to campaign in their hall. He wants our efforts to go in vain”.
The Administration General of Independence hall, Yusuf Aderbigbe, in his reaction said:
“Hessy has reported to me several times that he is not even allowed to campaign in Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall. Akeju was supposed to meet me that he wants to campaign so that when anything gets missing they won’t hold us the executive members responsible for anything that happens. They can say Akeju stole something, immediately he leaves”.
When Akeju was asked what happened, he said, “When I was campaigning in a room I heard some Katangites from outside saying “We are supposed to burst him into that room and use charm on him.”
One of the porters in the hall had stated that Akeju should have asked for permission before coming. As a result, he and the rest were of his team were shooed away.
