By: Emmanuel Oluwadola
Following the disqualification of Seyifunmi Francis Adeosun, known as Francophone from participating in the forthcoming Adekunle Ajasin University Students Union Election(AAUASU), the Law Students' Society of the institution has written a memorandum to the Students' Union Electoral Committee (SUEC) over the disapproval of 'their' supported candidate, pleading for a reinforcement.
The official statement which was signed and released by the association's President, Adelaju Amos Olumide urged SUEC to look carefully into their decision on the offense leveled against the aspirant from their Faculty, vying for the position of Students Union president.
According to the statement, Adelaju Amos maintained that all other laws are submissive to Nigeria's 1999 Constitution and everyone who is charged with a criminal offense shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proven guilty at the court of law, hence, the judgment against Francophone should be left to the 'protest committee' and court to decide.
However, he claimed that the supporters of the disqualified candidate were "boiling with rage" while he wrote to the SUEC to foster peace in the university community. He implored the Committee to do the needful so as to fall on the right side of history.
The memo reads:"It is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that the frontline aspirant for the apex office of the AAUASU, who is from the Faculty of Law, has been disqualified from the poll which is slated for Thursday, May 4 2023. The candidate in question is Comrade Seyifunmi Francis Adeosun popularly known on campus by the sobriquet, FRANCOFONE: a major contestant for the exalted office of the president of the union.
"In view of this development, the entire student populace has been caught in the labyrinth and quandary of confusion as to why the said decision was taken. Part of the questions being asked by the students are: What are the criteria or the parameters for the screening? Has any of the candidates broken his ranks vis-a-vis the university's rules and regulations? Has any of them been pronounced guilty of a crime in any court of law in the land? These and a legion of other posers have greeted the development for the past four days. Accordingly, with a very high voltage of hope, we were expecting a rejoinder from your end detailing the raison d'etre for the disqualification and providing answers to these questions, but unfortunately, we could not find any!
"As the days go by, I stumbled on a report from ECHO NEWS MEDIA( a campus-based news outlet) reporting that the said disqualification was premised on security clearance. It went further to delineate its meaning and its effects on students' union elections, as it concerns anybody vying for one position or the other. It said the electoral committee relied on article (e), part three, chapter 9 of the AAUASU Constitution for this controversial decision.
"The provision reads, "Notwithstanding, the provisions above, any candidate who had been convicted by any court, removed from office before through misconduct or has any pending case with the university authorities, security unit that has to do with cult-related activities, rape, vandalism, examination misconduct or other social vices shall not be eligible to contest for the election of the union.
"This particular section (especially the part in italics) is, in my own opinion, at variance with section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which unequivocally provides that ‘Everybody who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty (in a court of law).’ Interestingly, the constitution is the supreme law of the land before which all other laws must pay homage, genuflect and curtsey. Moreover, almost all those who spoke with the correspondents of the news outlet spoke on condition of anonymity. Why are they hiding their faces from the inquisitive students?
"Sir, I wish to aver your mind to the fact that the allegations and its sister summons that followed the November 2021 protest which rocked the university are arson, vandalism, affray and others, which are criminal offences that can only be inquired into and the punishment of which can only be determined by a court of law! Now, it is on record that he [Francofone] was only invited by the committee set up for the purpose of the protest as a witness to give evidence about what he knows about the incident –something any student could be called on to do– and has since been vindicated, even by the security unit.
"When has agreeing to give a witness amount to being complicit in a crime, even when substantial evidence says otherwise? Why has the committee set up to investigate and make recommendations on a protest that has occurred since 2021 not finished its findings and make its final report public up till May 2023? Is it brain surgery or rocket science? These among other questions are worth giving a thought to.
"Most importantly, I have decided to write you because of the brouhaha and uncertainty it might generate on our campus – as the peace-loving student that I am. The supporters of the disqualified candidate are boiling with rage. We have come too far to allow a trivial matter to disrupt the tranquility we currently enjoy in the university community after a couple of months have been lost to ASUU strike last year.
"I hereby implore you and your team to do the needful so as to fall on the right side of history, because history shall definitely vindicate the just! Kindly be assured of my undiminished regards!"
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