• Some of the students protesting during the elections
• SUELECO fails to declare winners, registered, accredited voters
• Total votes higher than accredited voters – Counsellor, SUELECO Chairman
Ahmad Obanoyen, Olasunkanmi Akinlotan and Ifedayo Ogunyemi
Controversies have trailed the Students’ Union election of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta held on Friday in the polytechnic premises as Students’ Union Electoral Committee failed to declare winners after voting proper.
Chairman of the electoral committee, Oluwadoyinsola Olaibi who announced the results after the elections failed to declare winners of the election.
The students of the institution had gone to the polls to elect new leaders to steer the affairs of the polytechnic Students’ Union for the 2016/17 which had begun in November 2016.
The students converged on the ICT Resources Centre to cast their votes electronically, a novel innovation in the polytechnic Students’ Union.
Accredited voters were given a 6-digit pin which enabled them to log into the systems used for voting. Voting was stopped by the Acting Director of Students’ Affairs, Akin Ajayi some minutes before 3pm.
This prompted a wild protest from majority of the students who were unhappy with the decision taken by the DSA. While the protest was ongoing, the Chief Security Officer of MAPOLY, Adekunle Adekoya slapped a female student of the department of Mass Communication, Halimot Yekinni.
However, a section of students were unmoved as they went on with the elections. The long queue of students waiting to cast their votes were shielded by another group of students.
Operatives of the Directorate of State Services present at the election venue failed to restore peace. They harassed another HND II Mass Communication student. Eyewitnesses told Press Club MAPOLY that the victim is a sickle cell patient.
One of the operatives seized a phone belonging to a female student of the polytechnic. It was also learnt that another DSS operative was drunk while on duty. While the Ogun State Chairman, National Association Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Olawale Balogun requested that he shouldn’t be on duty, the Ag. DSA ordered Balogun to leave the campus, he also ordered Balogun’s arrest.
This directive was not taken in by the students who continued their protest. The protest abated when members of SUELECO, DSA, Students’ Affairs Officer, Ayobami Oderinde and polytechnic Counsellor, Dr. Rotimi Olukoya led by security officers of DSS, Observation Post Corps Services (OPCS), Cadet Corps, MAN ‘O’ WAR and Explorer Scouts approached to announce election results.
While Olaibi was announcing elections results around 4pm, some students who were not pleased with the four results already announced protested again. This prompted Ajayi to order the announcement of results to be stopped and he directed the SUELECO members to go into the ICT centre.
It took about two hours before Olaibi and others to return outside to announce the remaining results. Before then, the polytechnic Public Relations Executive, Sulaimon Adebiyi had arrive at the seen to address the students.
While Adebiyi was pacifying the situation, Deputy Clerk of MAPOLY Students’ Representatives Council, Hon. Jamiu Ogunbamowo demanded that the total number of accredited voters should be released to the public.
Addressing the students few hours later, Ag. DSA said, “the election started and as far as we are concerned, results were being announced until the Chairman of SUELECO was being stoned.
“Since the chairman SUELECO was being stoned, I have to save the lives of members of SUELECO.
“Now we have to complete the announcement of results by the chairman SUELECO. I believe if anybody decides to stone us, then everybody will go home and we will paste the results on all notice boards. You can go and check it there.
“Because they are like you people, you cannot stand there and stone them and we watch them. So, listen to the results as being announced by SUELECO.”
However, when Olaibi resurfaced around 6pm, he announced the results for the remaining six SU offices, he however did not announce the total number of registered voters, accredited voters, pins issued to students.
He also failed to declare winners for all the ten posts contested for by the aspirants before he led his committee members back into the ICT building.
It was reliably gathered that Ajayi told the electoral chairman he didn’t have time for the counting of the accredited voters and pins issued for electorates to votes because enough time had been wasted already.
According to the results announced by Olaibi, Babatunde Adegoke (SMS), Olusola Kosoko (Kosoko) and Ahmed Fakunmoju (HOC) who contested for the office of the President had 705, 532 and 104 votes respectively.
For the office of the vice-president, Daniel Obanla (Obazy) and Sulaimon Adeyemi (Dasilva) had 721 and 598 while Qudus Rahman (Correct) and Tijani Mustapha (Jelmust) who contested for the post of the General Secretary had 794 and 515 respectively.
For the Assistant General Secretary, Adeola Adenuga (Corporate) Mary Joy Onudoka (Rosejay) and Olamide Ganiu (OLA) got 656, 527 and 145 respectively. Ifeoluwa Lawal (Hiffy) and Lateef Rafiu (Introduction) got 733 and 601 votes respectively.
Olamide Adeyemi (Pappyjay) and Olufemi Akanni (Ayoola) got 809 and 515 votes for the post of Financial Secretary while Johnson Ajisafe (Eba) and Abiodun Siyanbola (Sanyeri) who contested for the office of the Welfare Director got 687 and 626 votes. Sunday Teibo and Simileoluwa Liyele who contested for the office of the Public Relations Officer had 769 and 563 respectively.
For the Social Director, Grace Ayobami (Aluta princess) and Ademola Adekunle (Aja 4) had 720 and 601 votes, while Samson Isadare (Oracle), Sodiq Akanni (Skippo) and Abiodun Sunday (Longman) had 733, 503 and 102 votes respectively.
However, Press Club MAPOLY has it on good authority that the total votes casts were more than the total number of pins issued to electorates. The number of pin issued was also more than the accredited voters.
The counsellor, Dr. Olukoya and Olaibi confirmed that the total number of votes cast was more than the number of voters accredited to vote for the same election.
Also, a document sighted by Press Club MAPOLY indicated that 1,298 voters were accredited while 1,318 pins were issued to the electorates. When contacted on phone for reconfirmation, Olaibi said that the number of accredited voters and the number of pins issued to voters for the election.
According to the results announced, a total number of 1,341 votes were cast for the office of the president, 1,319 for the vice-president while 1,309 were cast for the office of the general secretary.
1,328 votes were cast for the office of the assistant general secretary, 1,334 votes for the office of the treasurer. 1,324 votes were cast for the financial secretary, 1,313 for the post of the welfare director, 1,332 votes for the public relations office, 1,321 for the social director and 1,338 votes were cast for the office of the sports director.