Nigerian Students Won’t Endorse Non-performing Candidates– NANS

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone A, has said its members will not automatically support any political party or presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.

It asserted that their support must be earned through measurable performance and credible commitments.

The association also announced plans to establish a 10-member Student Political Performance and Accountability Assessment Committee to assess political leaders and major political platforms on issues affecting students and Nigerian youths.

NANS Zone A disclosed this at a press conference in Kaduna, addressed by its national vice president, External Affairs, Sadiq Zango; national ex-officio I, Umar Hamisu Almu; coordinator, Umar Doko and Northwest public relations officer, Kafilu Abdullahi Banki.

It said the committee would assess political leadership based on educational access and quality, student financing and welfare, implementation of promises, youth employment and empowerment, campus security, skills development, innovation and entrepreneurship, infrastructure, research and human-capital development.

According to the association, the assessment would not be based on ethnicity, religion or political affiliation, but on “evidence, performance, policy and measurable outcomes.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, NANS Zone ‘A’ has not endorsed any presidential candidate or political party for the 2027 general elections,” it said.

The association said any future position taken by NANS must emerge from proper consultation, evidence-based assessment and the collective interests of Nigerian students.

It stressed that no political party should assume that the student vote belonged to it, adding that NANS was not a political party and did not exist to serve the electoral interests of any political organisation.

NANS Zone A urged political parties preparing for the 2027 elections to engage Nigerian students on issues, policies and measurable commitments rather than merely seeking their mobilisation.

On student financing, the association recognised the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as an important intervention in addressing financial barriers to education, but called for greater accessibility, affordability, transparency, sustainability and measurable impact.

It said governments seeking the confidence of Nigerian students must provide clear answers on how students from low-income households could gain admission, remain in school and graduate without being overwhelmed by the cost of education.

The association also called for stronger security measures around tertiary institutions, including improved campus security infrastructure, intelligence gathering and early-warning systems, emergency response mechanisms and protection for students living off campus.