23rd SEPTEMBER, 2015

The Dean,

Students’ Affair,

University of Lagos,

Akoka, Lagos.



Dear Sir,



PETTITON: REJECTION OF ELECTION RESULTS OF THE ULSU ELECTION CONDUCTED ON TUESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER, 2015 AS A RESULT OF RIGGING, INELIGIBILITY OF MR OLANIYAN MOHAMMED AND AIDING AND ABETTING OF TEAM RESCUE BY THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE MISS TOPE ABERE


We the students of the faculty of social sciences condemn and reject in totality the electioneering process and the conduct of the University of Lagos Students’ Union (ULSU) election held on Tuesday 22nd of September 2015.

It is of great concern to the whole university community that the election to appoint students leaders into various offices was marred by various irregularities and therefore lack credibility on the part of the electoral committee.

Having gathered necessary information about the screening processes and occurrences at the election venues, the following underlying facts shall project our plight.

That Mr. Olaniyan Mohammed has two outstanding courses which include FIN110 and CIL308 but was cleared because of the influence of some Persons suspected to be working in his favor within the electoral committee as well as officers of the University Management. Mr. Mohammed’s result reference is on authoritative ground and was corroborated by evidence at the CITS. We suspect complicity of persons in the aforementioned quarters. On same ground of academic outstanding/references, another candidate known as Mr. Ochuba Polycarp was disqualified. But curiously, Mr. Mohammed was cleared regardless.


Miss Tope Afere, the vice chairman of the electoral committee has a very strong relationship with Mr. Mohammed Olaniyan after they both served as members of the constitution drafting committee and she publicly campaigned for him. She was seen dancing during the election as the anomalies they machinated were working and also jubilated around the campus after Mr. Mohammed Olaniyan was declared President-elect.

Students of the Faculty of Social Sciences were harassed at the election venue and Miss Tope Afere was present and allowed the supporters of Mr. Mohammed Olaniyan to campaign and share campaign materials at the venue of elections despite her warnings to against same on previous day, which turned out to be only against opponents of Mr. Mohammed. All banners of opponent candidates were removed from the election venue, except that of Mr. Mohammed Olaniyan, which was a suspected tactic co-generated with Miss Tope Afere.

Upon declaration of the results, the total number of accredited voters was lesser than the votes cast, which shows inconsistency of the figures as well as exposes rigging. The total number of accredited voters was 1183 while total number of votes cast was 1386.


The total votes for each office contested did not tally with one another which means some voters got higher number of ballot papers to vote more than once for some aspirants against some others.


Mr. Mohammed Olaniyan paid a sum of one hundred thousand (100,000) naira to Miss Tope Afere to rig the election in his favor and promised to pay a balance of fifty thousand (50,000) naira after the elections. She was paid the advance fee of one hundred thousand (100,000) naira on Wednesday 9th September 2015.


There was no election of members of the Electoral College at the college of medicine because the electoral committee gave the forms to an individual for the deliberate reason to share for his friends while disenfranchising other students.


The electoral college form of the college of medicine was not screened before the election was conducted.


Miss Tope Afere had a meeting with the Vice President 1 of the students’ Union, Mr. Abisoye Akinsulire at the students’ affairs on Monday 21st September 2016 appealing to him to secure the votes at the Idi-Araba Campus for Mr Olaniyan Mohammed by any means which includes disenfranchisement, rigging and harassment of voters of other camps

On days preceding the election, Miss Tope Afere had almost forced additional number of 288 delegates to the Electoral College of Idi-Araba but was promptly stopped by the discerning office of the Dean of Students Affairs (DSA). We suspect that move to be part of Miss Afere and Mr. Mohammed’s rigging scheme ahead of the polls

On day of election, Mr. Mohammed and his camp disbursed money to voters at the polling center in Idi-Araba to influence the poll. This contravenes electoral guideline against campaigning on the election day.


Miss Tope Afere is an active member of the Up-School alliance (#teamRescue) which happens to be the political force behind Mr. Mohammed Olaniyan.


Miss Tope Afere instructed some electoral committee members to allow about Two Hundred (200) persons who were not qualified to vote into the polling center by using a using a given code to identify themselves upon arriving the center.

A large number of voters who voted for Mr. Olaniyan Mohammed and his team were given more than one ballot paper for each of the offices contested for after stating their code.

The election into the office of the General Secretary could not be conducted due to Negligence and failure on the part of the electoral committee.

The Electoral Committee allowed the President of Management Students’ Association to be parading the accreditation arena even when he is not a member of the electoral committee or monitoring team.

Miss Tope Afere allowed Some unknown people to pass through the gate of the accreditation arena with fake identity cards because she was the officer in charge of the entrance and clearance.

The banners of Team Rescue were staged at the election venue and the electoral committee did not remove or ask the owners to remove them.


Having holistically scrutinized the above assertions, we have established that there were high levels of irregularities in the electioneering processes and conduct of the elections, we hereby list our prayers as follows:


1. That Mr. Olaniyan Mohammed of the faculty of Business Administration be disqualified on the basis of ineligibility and Mr. Olawoye Segun Akinpelu should be declared winner of the students’ union presidential election having emerged as the first runner up. This is in accordance with the provisions of the ULSU constitution with article 6, Section 5, Sub-Section 1a:


“Candidates for the ULSU Executive election shall only be eligible provided all of the following criteria have been met:


a. have a minimum 3.00 C.G.P.A by the result of the preceding semester. In the case of the College of Medicine and Surgery and Dentistry, a candidate must have no reference pending and not repeating the present class”

Mr. Odeh Joseph of the faculty of Social Sciences and Miss Fabuyi Jumai of the faculty of Law should have a re-run election since the same ghost votes Mr. Olaniyan Mohammed had also benefited Miss Fabuyi Jumai.

A re-run should also be conducted for the election into the office of the assistant general secretary which involves Mr. Bello Ridwan of the faculty pf sciences and Mr Isah Wushishi of the faculty of social Sciences.

Miss Afere Tope should be relieved of her position as the vice-chairperson of the ULSU electoral committee and should not be given any certificate carrying any such office.

The screening processes and election report should be made public to the student populace.

We hope to get justice to our prayers as it will help build a healthy political atmosphere in the University of Lagos as it would project us as the true university of first choice and the nation’s pride.



Okeowo James Tomola Adeyoyin Oluwatobi

President General Secretary


Cc: The Vice Chancellor

Deputy VC Academics

Deputy VC Management Services

Registrar

Director Academic Affairs

Director, Cits

Dean of Faculties

ULSU Excecutives

Students Legislative Council ULSU

All Notice Boards

Mr. Mohammed Olaniyan paid a sum of one hundred thousand (100,000) naira to Miss Tope Afere to rig the election in his favor and promised to pay a balance of fifty thousand (50,000) naira after the elections. She was paid the advance fee of one hundred thousand (100,000) naira on Wednesday 9th September 2015.

This is oddly specific.
Proof?