The President of the Nigerian University Engineering Students’ Association (NUESA), Comr. Jinadu Micheal Mabayomije, has condemned the recent actions of the Student House of Senate (SHS), describing their nomination process for a caretaker committee as unconstitutional and lacking legal authority.
His response follows a memorandum issued by the SHS Ibogun campus on March 24, 2025, instructing constituency leaders at Ibogun Campus to submit two nominees for a caretaker committee that would oversee the remaining tenure of the 2024/2025 administration.
The memo, signed by the Student House of Senate, Ibogun Campus, and the Olabisi Onabanjo University Students’ Union Government (OOU SUG), also set a deadline, requiring all nominations to be submitted before the end of the day.
“Following the memorandum issued by the Student House of Senate, led by Sen. Soledoja Habbeb (PKA Sen. Elevate), regarding the constitution of a caretaker committee to oversee the remaining tenure of the 2024/2025 administration, we hereby direct all constituency leaders to collaborate with their stakeholders and submit two nominated names along with their phone numbers,” the memo reads.
Reacting to this, Comr. Jinadu Micheal released a statement rejecting the directive, stating that SHS has no constitutional authority to conduct nominations or elections on behalf of NUESA.
“NUESA is an independent body, and the SHS arm has no authority to conduct nominations or elections on behalf of the association,” Mabayomije declared.
He urged students, aspirants, and supporters to “refrain from participating in any unauthorized nomination or election process until further directives are issued by the legitimate NUESA leadership.”
The NUESA President further revealed that the National Body of NUESA had been notified and was taking steps to resolve the situation.
In an exclusive interview with OOU GAZETTE, Mabayomije cited Section 32(3) of the NUESA constitution, which states:
“In the event of the CEC and SRC being dissolved: i. All departmental presidents shall form the caretaker committee, which shall be headed by a chairman elected among them. ii. Such a committee shall be responsible for the running of the association. iii. The lifespan of such a committee shall not exceed one calendar month before another election is held.”
He further alleged that SHS’s insistence on the nomination process was driven by personal interests rather than constitutional adherence.
“Due to their selfish interests and ulterior motives, they want to go through this unconstitutional process. I have already informed them that the National Body of the Nigerian Universities Engineering Students Association (NUESA National) has been involved, yet they are still pushing forward. There is something behind their interest,” he stated.
Expressing further concerns, he added, “I have told the SHS to stay away from this. It is clear they have a special interest in the association.”