ABUJA — The National Association of Nigerian Students has elected Akinteye Babatunde Afeez as its new national president, concluding a highly competitive but remarkably peaceful 2026 national convention at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja.
Akinteye, a prominent student leader from the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, secured the apex student seat following a keenly contested ballot featuring five frontline presidential aspirants. The former NANS Senate President officially takes over the mantle of leadership from the outgoing president, Olushola Oladoja, whose tenure expired this month.
The high-stakes election was conducted under heavy security monitoring, with detached personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and operatives of the Department of State Services maintaining a strict perimeter. Despite initial fears of friction typical of national student politics, participants and observers have widely hailed the exercise as one of the most orderly and transparent conventions in the association’s recent history.
A Unified Front
Delivering his acceptance speech on Monday morning shortly after being declared winner, the newly elected NANS President expressed profound gratitude to the national delegates and pledged an administration anchored on campus unity and proactive student advocacy.
“The leadership of NANS has conducted our election successfully and a new leadership has emerged. I thank all the delegates for electing me… In the history of NANS, this is one of the best conventions we have witnessed. There was no crisis, no gunshot, no fight,” Akinteye stated.
He further noted that his co-contestants had already extended messages of sportsmanship and congratulations, signaling a unified front for the apex student body. He assured Nigerian students nationwide that his executive team would immediately swing into action to reposition the association and fiercely advocate for student welfare across tertiary institutions.
Free and Fair Transition
The Independent Convention Planning Committee, chaired by Omotayo Samuel, confirmed that more than 300 accredited delegates participated in the voting process. The electorate comprised Student Union Government presidents, Senate presidents, and designated campus stakeholders drawn from various universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the federation. Final accreditation and logistical clearings were finalized late Sunday night at the Kapital Club in Asokoro before voting commenced.
Outgoing President Olushola Oladoja described the successful, hitch-free transition as a crowning achievement of his executive tenure.
”I thank God Almighty for giving me the opportunity to conduct a free and fair election in the history of NANS,” Oladoja remarked. He expressed absolute confidence in Akinteye’s capacity, urging the student community to accord the incoming administration the same cooperation his team enjoyed.
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The Contenders
The presidential race spotlighted a diverse pool of student leaders from prominent federal and state universities across the southwest zone. Akinteye topped a ballot that included:
- Aminu Haruna Maipampo (Federal University, Oye-Ekiti)
- Awoyinpa Opeoluwa Elijah (Federal University of Technology, Akure)
- Olumide Odumosu Josiah (Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye)
- Opaleye Samuel Oladutun (Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta)
