A Call for an Independent Students’ Union Election

Aduwo Ayodele
“When a nation chooses an oppressive and reactionary government in election, it does not only betray its own country, but also betrays humanity because only free minds in a free country can make a good contribution to humanity!”— Mehmet Murat
The University of Ibadan Students’ Union elections have been fraught with several faults in recent times. An easy to recollect instance is the last session’s election, which ultimately produced the current crop of Union leaders. That very election was marred by fundamental flaws, very obviously. For instance, on the election’s scheduled D-day, the online voting platform malfunctioned. Its technical fault, to an inestimable degree, led to the cancellation of that day’s election, to the subsequent Saturday, to the shock of the students.
Rife with such a poor outing was an immoral and discreditable silence from the Electoral Committee, albeit not an independent electoral body with a democratic authority over the election. This biggest fraught, notably undemocratic, is that the acclaimed electoral committee of the Students’ Union has been a jointly managed affair between representative(s) of the University management team, and merely in addition, the students who had been or had nominated themselves to serve in the committee from the various faculties and halls that exist.
Is it not worth reflecting that if the Students’ Union leadership is trusted with the governance of students, it does become equally reasonable that, as time progresses, the students’ community should be able to conduct its own election, and continuously better? If, for one, faculties and departments can make largely successful examples of election conducts, it thus becomes imperative that a radical departure be embarked upon by the University of Ibadan Students’ Union. That the issue of conducting an independent student election is not an enough issue is as false as thinking that UI students are bereft of what it takes to conduct their own election. If, for the sake of mentioning, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite its institutional shortcomings, can still be saddled with conducting elections in the country, it will therefore be an incoherent opinion that students do not have the wherewithal to conduct themselves better.
Culling Lessons from the Independence of Staff Unions –ASUU, NASU, SSANU, NAAT and Others
The independence of staff unions, both within the University and at the national space, is an inspiring springboard to link this rightful call for an independent electoral system, which must begin to characterize the Ibadan Students’ Union. If there is indeed no external interference in staff unions’ elections within the University, students must be given the full chance to organise their own democracy, without external helping hands; except for advisory roles.
When the ability to make decisions, policies or re-enact leadership is marred by an agency or an agent outside the legitimate scope of its membership, a staff union core mission will become its own nemesis. Its struggle for a better welfare will not be possible and sincere, as a result of over-familiarity. The typical activities of staff unions which include providing assistance and services to their members, collective bargaining for better pay and conditions for workers, working to improve the quality of public services, political campaigning and industrial action, will become greatly undermined in the occasion of an intrusion from the Government or any other person.
The responsibilities and agitations of staff unions have made it possible for these organisations to remain fairly reputable in comparison to others. This is the reason any trade or staff union member can stand for election to a statutory elected position so long as the trade union’s rules allow them to do so.
For the Democracy of our Union
For students, the need to have an independent Students’ Union election will strikingly return the Students’ Union as an institution back to the students. By implication, this will stir students’ consciousness in regards to the Union. With an independent Students’ Union election in vogue, students will begin to carry the greatest of the Union burden; the burden of trust, and active participation. It should be known that this interference is exclusively aimed at influencing results and is equally a chance to erode students’ faith and trust in the legitimacy and integrity of their democratic elections, institutions and representatives.
Ample Recommendations
The onus of this change must begin with students, who are unarguably the owners of the Union. Students must begin to make a loud demand for an independent Students’ Union election– an electioneering process that will be entirely conducted without external interference. Where there is a need for guidance, for one, it should not be imposed by a force outside the realm of the students’ community. With students alone, there can be a beginning of trust in the electoral process, where transparency and accountability can be feasible and not imaginable as it has been.
Ahead of the UI’SU24 poll, because the change must start this session if at all, students are also required to use all the platforms they belong to, to raise this consciousness. The moment, upon which this becomes possible, all the bodies concerned with ensuring that this democratic right of electoral independence is institutionalised, will see that through. It is necessary to add that students must mount this democratic pressure as a rightful demand, for as long as it would take the Students’ Representative Council to take heed, or against any individual who may appear to obstruct this rightful demand for an independent Students’ Union election.
The Students’ Representative Council, University of Ibadan should, as a matter of fact, begin a review of the electoral process and also make firm resolve ultimately about the electoral independence of the Students’ Union. This process should begin by ensuring that individuals who will be members of the electoral committee are constituted only through the Students’ Representative Council. This push for independence must begin in this manner and must be maintained in this manner. The Students’ Representative Council must recognize that the constitution of the Students’ Union is objectively clear in its provisions, which favours the interest of its members, and recognises only the members as those who must own the Union at all times.
The Executive Council of the Students’ Union is expected to play the role of consolidation by ensuring that this becomes feasible. This is necessary to promote the democracy of the Union, and by protecting all unbending voices regarding the electoral independence of the Union. Since the Executive committee is saddled with the day-to-day responsibilities of the Union, it becomes imperative that the leadership of the Union must bear, in its consciousness, the need to ensure the independence of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union electoral system.
Lastly, the role to be played in a bid to have an independent electoral system does not leave out the body of campus journalists within the University. As information dissemination outlets, local Press organisations are required to raise and contribute to the discussion of electoral independence of the Students’ Union. This will achieve the fundamental goal of domesticating the conversation and widely spreading such consciousness within the students’ community.