SUG ELECTION: MAPOLY Students Write Rector, Allege Disenfranchisement as Iceconray, Others Face Backlash

… SUG responds, says Mass Comm, SLT distanced themselves

… Students claim stolen data used to rig election

Fawaz Adebisi

The build-up to the forthcoming Students’ Union Government, SUG, election at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY, Abeokuta, has been overshadowed by a storm of allegations, counter-claims, and a widening rift between the Union and sections of the student body.

At the heart of the dispute are claims of disenfranchisement, data misuse, and lack of transparency, charges the Union strongly denies. On September 8 2025, press releases began to fly around few minutes after a publication, now inaccessible, by a blog, stating that a petition was submitted to MAPOLY Director of Students’ Affairs, Mr David Aninkan, against the SUG, alleging that the government is trying to disenfranchise students by closing the SUG portal without prior notice.

The publication was accessible for over 30 minutes and quickly garnered over 70 views as monitored by our reporter. But, after response from the SUG came in, the story became inaccessible, making it more suspicious with a hidden agenda. 

The response of the SUG, under the aegis of Isaac Ogunlana, popularly known as Iceconray, to this claim was straight and direct. It dismissed these allegations as “misleading and inaccurate.” 

In its official response signed by Iceconray and the Public Relations Officer, Comrade Abdullahi Samuel Toluwalope, the Union insisted that the payment portal had been accessible since the beginning of the academic session.

“The SUG payment portal was opened since assumption of office, and has since remained accessible to all students of the Polytechnic in first semester and second semester,” the Union maintained.

According to the Union, all departments complied with the dues payment process, except for Mass Communication and Science Laboratory Technology, SLT, which it accused of voluntarily exempting themselves.

“It is therefore misleading to suggest that the entire School of Communication and Information Technology or the School of Science has been disenfranchised, when in truth the agitation is coming from only two departments,” the Union said.

The SUG also condemned attempts to draw the DSA into the controversy, as stated in the publication, describing such moves as “baseless” and “diversionary.”

Reassuring the student body, the Union pledged that the forthcoming elections would be “free, fair, and transparent.” It urged students to ignore what it called propaganda and to focus on constructive participation.

This response however sparked more reactions from students. In a strongly worded release, a coalition of concerned students accused the SUG of presiding over an election process tainted by irregularities. They argued that the Union had failed to ensure equal access to its payment portal, effectively shutting out large sections of the student body.

“The issue of the portal’s inaccessibility for SUG dues has been raised repeatedly by affected students and departments,” the group stated. “Despite this, the Union continues to insist that the portal is open, even when evidence to the contrary exists. This raises serious questions about transparency and sincerity.”

The students further alleged a breach of privacy and outright manipulation. According to their claims, sensitive student details were being printed and submitted at the SUG chamber, and these details were allegedly used to log into the official election website and vote on behalf of unsuspecting students.

“This is a fraudulent act that undermines trust in the process and compromises the rights of students,” the release read.

The coalition also rejected what it described as an attempt by the Union to isolate only two departments, Mass Communication and SLT, as agitators. “It is not only Mass Communication and SLT that have been unable to pay for the MAPSU dues. Departments such as Nutrition and Dietetics, Food Science Technology, Computer Engineering, Accountancy, and Library and Information Science have faced the same issue,” the students argued.

For them, the solution lies in a transparent, management-supervised process. “The integrity of the election cannot be built on propaganda, intimidation, or fraudulent practices, but only on openness, accountability, and fairness,” they declared, calling on MAPOLY management to intervene urgently.

Students Petition Rector Over Alleged Flaws in Union Election Process

The concerned students have therefore taken further steps, petitioning the Rector of the institution, calling for urgent intervention in the forthcoming Students’ Union election. The petition, which praised the Rector’s leadership in repositioning MAPOLY, stressed that the credibility of the Students’ Union remains vital to sustaining the “NEW MAPOLY” vision.

In their appeal, the students highlighted several irregularities that had marred previous elections, including what they described as constitutional abuse, manipulation of the online voting system, and lack of transparency in the electoral committee’s screening process. They alleged that during the last election, provisions of the union constitution were ignored, with some aspirants allowed to contest despite not meeting stipulated requirements.

The petition, signed by the Mass Communication, SLT and NUD departments, also accused the electoral body of running a “kangaroo online election” that disenfranchised many eligible voters. According to them, the student-created voting portal was vulnerable to manipulation, with several students reportedly blocked from casting their votes after receiving messages that they had “already voted.” They further alleged that the portal handlers had access to students’ login details, a situation they said compromised the process.

Concerns were also raised over secrecy in the screening of candidates. Some aspirants, the students claimed, had access to privileged information ahead of others, giving them an unfair advantage in the contest.

The petition called on management to scrap the student-managed portal and reinstate the school’s ICT-supervised e-voting system, which they argued had previously guaranteed more transparency. They also urged the Rector to ensure neutrality of both the Students’ Union Electoral Committee, SUELECO,  and the Students’ Representative Council, SRC, in the conduct of the polls, while also protecting students from intimidation during the electioneering period.

The students insisted that only a credible process, monitored closely by top-level management, could restore faith in the Union and produce leaders who truly represent the will of the student body. They further demanded that the election, which they claimed had already been compromised, should be halted and restarted under a fairer framework.

“The eyes of the world are on MAPOLY,” the petition concluded, stressing that the forthcoming election is a test of whether the Rector’s vision of a “NEW MAPOLY” will reflect in the character, transparency, and integrity of its Union.