“NO INVOLVEMENT, NO AFFILIATION”: LAUTECH SUG DISTANCES ITSELF FROM PRO-TINUBU WALK

The Students’ Union Government of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, has dissociated itself from a street gathering tagged the “NELFUND Gratitude Walk,” organised in honour of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that it neither organised, financed, approved, nor mobilised students for the event.

The disclaimer, dated October 31, 2026, and signed by President Mubaraq Olanrewaju Famakin and General Secretary Mahfuz Abiodun Asafa, stated that the union had become aware of reports, photographs, and videos circulating about the gathering, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE DISCLAIMER

The Central Executive Council was unequivocal in its statement. “We state clearly and unequivocally that the Students’ Union Government has no involvement, affiliation, or prior knowledge regarding the organization or execution of this gathering,” the statement said.

The union listed three reasons for its disassociation, stressing that it did not authorise the use of its name, platform, or official authority for the event.

“The Students’ Union Government did not organize, finance, approve, or mobilize students for the said walk,” the disclaimer stated. “The conveners and participants acted entirely in their personal capacities and do not represent the Central Executive Council or the collective student body of LAUTECH. The name, platform, and official authority of the Union were never authorized for this activity.”

THE WARNING

While acknowledging the constitutional right of individuals to freedom of association, the student leadership warned against presenting private political or solidarity demonstrations as activities organised by the union.

“While the Union respects the constitutional right of individuals to freedom of association, no external party or private group is permitted to present private political or solidarity demonstrations as an initiative of the student leadership,” the statement said.

The union urged members of the university community, students, and the general public to disregard any claims linking its leadership to the gathering, adding that its administration remained focused on protecting students’ welfare and safeguarding their academic interests.

WHY IT MATTERS

The LAUTECH disclaimer is a significant intervention in the growing politicisation of Nigeria’s student bodies ahead of the 2027 election.

The NELFUND Gratitude Walk was ostensibly a show of appreciation for the federal government’s student loan scheme.

But the timing—as the 2027 campaign begins, and the involvement of political actors suggest that the walk was as much about Tinubu’s re-election as it was about NELFUND.

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By distancing itself from the event, the LAUTECH SUG is sending a clear message: students are not pawns in a political game. Their union’s name and platform cannot be used to confer legitimacy on a partisan gathering without their consent.

Whether other student unions will follow suit remains to be seen. But for now, LAUTECH has drawn a line. ValidViewNetwork reports.