Confusion As Three Factional Presidents Emerge After NANS Convention

The national convention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) ended in Abuja with the emergence of three factional presidents.

The three students who claim the presidency position include Lucky Emonefe, a student of the College of Education, Warri, Delta State; Rioborue Deniran of the Department of Mass Communication, Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara and Pedro Obi, a Ph.D. student of Guidance and Counseling studies at Delta State University.

Controversy had risen in the association following its convention that started on November 27 in Abuja.

Both Lucky Emonefe and Rioborue Deniran, at separate media conferences in Abuja after the election, claimed that they emerged in a free and fair election.

Emonefe during his briefing warned against creating factions in the Association by aggrieved contestants, adding that Nigerian students know their leaders from the Joint Campus Committee, Zonal and the National leadership because they are involved in their elections.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to approve a national annual bursary of N200,000 to all Nigerian students.

He noted that the fund will act as a palliative to cushion the effects of the hard economic situation occasioned by the highly overdue economic reforms of the Tinubu administration.

On his part, Comrade Rioborue Jude Deniran, urged the Department of State Services to give a report of the 2023 elective convention as the world was eager to know.

“During the convention, a lot happened that we heard and witnessed, good, bad, and ugly. To the glory of God, we have started addressing the bad and ugly situations that require urgent attention. I am calling on the Department of State Security to give a report of the 2023 elective convention as the world is eager to know.

“It’s indeed an enormous privilege and honor to be trusted with the leadership of Nigerian students. I am deeply conscious of that privilege and honor at this time.

“It is indeed a remarkable and historic victory for Nigerian students, and I have no doubt about what this means to the students’ community,” he said.

In an earlier interview with THE WHISTLER, the students have refuted claims of shootings between rival factions and fatalities at the venue of the convention at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja.

The NANS Public Relations Officer, Victor Williams, claimed while there were disturbances and a physical confrontation at the venue of the convention, the sounds heard were security personnel firing shots into the air to disperse the crowd and restore peace in the convention arena.