Who is Delaying AFAS Bye-Election?

Lawal Maruf

It is now almost 3months after “Team New Era” under the leadership of Adeniyi Olamilekan as the Faculty of Arts President has been sworn in by the faculty management. However, the team remains incomplete as there are gaping holes that need to be filled in the executive council. To date, the offices of the vice president, treasurer, and director of sports are still vacant. 

In what seems to be unusual in the political terrain of the faculty of Arts, the last AFAS election took a rare dimension when no one showed interest in the three vacant positions. 

Faculty of Arts Legislative Council, in a bid to have the vacant offices occupied by qualified AFASites, debated on the procedures of the bye-election where the house arrived at constituting an electoral college that will oversee the conduct of the bye-election. On the 21st of July, 2024, FLC circulated a special release specifying the modus operandi of the bye-election. However, the release was not without a queue of criticism from the AFAS President. According to him in his rejoinder, he “expects the FLC to seek counsel from the Faculty management or congress to establish a new mode of conducting bye-election not only for now but for the future to avoid any confusion.”  While he faulted the  FLC for not carrying the faculty management along as regards the modalities of the bye-election, he also stated that “it’s important to note that conducting bye-elections is not the duty of the house in the first place. According to the constitution, they must declare the position vacant.”

A critical look at the “flaws” in the modalities of the bye-election cited by Mojuba truly shines a spotlight on the contravention of the provisions of the AFAS constitution by the FLC. On one hand, the electoral college is not only going to be constituted by nominated individuals from each department and a pressman but also with two FLC members, which goes against Article 41(iii) of the AFAS constitution that no political office holder should be in any electoral committee. On the other hand, the qualification of the vacant offices stated in the AFAS FLC release fell short of Article 36(ii), where it is stated that “Only 100Level and 200Level D.E students are eligible to contest only for the post of the AGS.”

Also, the President of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Olasubomi Adamson, questioned the authority and legality of the FLC to constitute an electoral college, requesting a review of the formation of the electoral college. 

In a letter addressed to the FLC, he said the move “seems to contravene the constitution concerning its membership, methods, and the matters as well as manner guiding the process of a bye-election, as illustrated in the constitution.”

The burden is bulky

For the AFAS President, complementing his presidential duties with the duties of other vacant offices has been a taxing task.

 “It has not been cool. Bearing the burden of the other three people. Since I am to supervise all offices, it is indirectly my duty and now that people that will be held responsible for those works are not available, I have to look for a way round.” He stated. In other to streamline the duties of the vacant offices, he said that he had devised a means by setting up a committee that will oversee their affairs pending the time the offices are occupied.“For sports, I know nothing about sports so I constitute a sports committee comprised of all departmental sports directors in case there will be sports activities before we have a Sports director.”

Stressing the crucial role played by the vice president whenever the president is not around, he said “ For the Vice President, I sincerely need it. I can’t always be in many places at a time and I need someone to act on my behalf in my absence. As for the tutorial aspect, we already have an academic committee in charge and we all see how the social director stood in during the organizing of Freshmen orientation week.”

“The Treasurer has been filling the gap for the financial secretary and I have been standing for VP as I am to be assisted by VP which means, for now, there is no assistant,” he said.

Nothing is stopping the bye-election than the submission of names for the Electoral College

The only clog delaying the bye-election is that some of the departmental presidents have not submitted the names of representatives of their constituencies (departments ) for the electoral college. ”The house has written a letter to the departmental president of each department in the faculty. we got a response from just a few of them and another letter was sent through honorable members of the house to the president again after the first deadline was not met and we await a positive response from the departments.”  Said FLC Speaker, Rt Hon Olajide Miqdad. 

The buck now stops on the table of departmental presidents   who are yet to submit names because “Whether the bye-election will hold or not it’s in the hands of the department if they send in their representatives and the electoral college is formed, it will be held soon.”

According to the speaker, departments of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Philosophy, Theatre Arts, English, and the Press have submitted the names of their representatives.

While the AFAS president claimed that the faculty management is not aware of the proposed bye-election, the FLC speaker confirmed that “The faculty management is in support of the procedure of the bye-election process.”

Due to  the disagreement on the interpretation of the provision of the constitution, as it is entrenched in Article 49 of the AFAS constitution, both the legislative and the executive arm should consult the legal adviser to seek further clarification on the stance of the constitution regarding the conduct of bye-election in the faculty. 

It is important to note that having a member of the executive council presiding over the office of another executive member would lead to nothing but abuse of power and strengthen the weakening of the constitution. This is because the constitution clearly states the distinct duties of each executive member. 

Also, if the vacant offices are not occupied within the shortest possible time frame,  it will not only erode the level of transparency in the discharge of duties by the executive council but also make accountability difficult, if not impossible. 

Lastly, given the relevant roles, the offices of the vice president, financial secretary, and director of sports are bound to play in achieving the objectives of “Team New Era”, AFASites cannot look unconsciously if the executive arm intends to lose the goal.