UNILAG restores SUG after nine-year suspension, elects new leaders

The University of Lagos has reinstated its Students’ Union Government after a nine-year suspension, with the election of new student leaders for the 2025/2026 academic session.

This was disclosed in a statement uploaded on the university’s website on Friday.

According to the statement, the university authorities conducted an election on Friday, which produced the Students’ Union President and General Secretary as part of the transition process toward the full restoration of the union.

The election was coordinated by the Directorate of Student Affairs led by the Dean, Professor Johnson Agunsoye, and took place at the Common Room of Moremi Hall on the university campus.

The institution explained that the officers were elected from among the current set of faculty presidents in line with the guidelines established for the transition process toward restoring the union.

“At the end of the exercise, Bolaji Akinpelu of the Faculty of Arts emerged as the President with a total of nine votes while Daniel Solomon of the Faculty of Computing and Informatics was elected General Secretary with nine votes,” the statement read.

Speaking on the conduct of the election, Agunsoye said the exercise fulfilled a promise made by the Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, to facilitate the return of the Students’ Union.

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According to him, the restoration of the union is aimed at strengthening student representation and leadership development within the institution.

“The restoration of the union is intended not only to provide a platform for the student population to express their views, but also to prepare students for leadership responsibilities and encourage them to become solution-driven leaders,” he said.

The restoration process comes nearly nine years after the university senate dissolved the Students’ Union Government on April 24, 2016, and suspended its constitution indefinitely.

At the time, the management said the decision followed student protests and unrest that disrupted academic activities on campus and threatened peace within the institution.

The move sparked criticism from student groups and the National Association of Nigerian Students, which staged protests against the rustication of some student leaders involved in demonstrations over poor electricity and water supply on campus.

The student body accused the university management of suppressing students’ voices and restricting their right to express grievances.

However, the university maintained that the suspension was necessary to restore order and ensure uninterrupted academic programmes.

In 2024, the Vice-Chancellor, Ogunsola, assured student leaders and other stakeholders that steps were being taken to reinstate the Students’ Union Government, noting that student governance plays a vital role in fostering a vibrant academic environment and promoting student welfare.

The election of the new officers is seen as a major milestone in the gradual return of student representation at the institution.