The president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Olushola Ladoja, has accused opposition political parties of orchestrating false factions within the student body to destabilise its leadership.
Ladoja made this known over the weekend while interacting with the press to clarify recent developments within the education sector and state the official position of the NANS leadership on matters of national and student interest.
He specifically cautioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against what he called coordinated political interference in student leadership. He also accused popular activist Omoyele Sowore of sponsoring factionalism within the student body.
LEADERSHIP reports that the statement follows the emergence of a factional NANS president, Atiku Isah, and his subsequent allegation of assault and abduction against President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu.
Isah claimed that Seyi Tinubu had offered him N100 million to promote the president, an offer he said he declined.
NANS, however, accused Isah of receiving funds to destabilise the association and falsely claim its presidency.
Ladoja denied the existence of any faction within NANS, suggesting that opposition parties’ claims to the contrary are politically motivated attempts to undermine the association.
“I can tell you that there is no faction in NANS. Because, quote me anywhere, that Atiku Isah, the only two times I’ve seen him in my life, I’ve talked to him, whenever I see him, he addresses me as Mr President.
“So what are we saying? I just discovered that if you look at the picture going around in the media yesterday, you see that he has been snapping around, meeting with stakeholders of the opposition party.
“That is to tell you they want to use him. I told you earlier that I don’t know if you remember, but one of the reasons for faction in NANS is political engraving. It has been shown that the opposition party wants to use him, maybe because of what I just told you now, that they see that some of us are commending the good work and the education policy by Mr President.
“So, they see us, NANS, as always opposing the government. But some of us are intellectual. When we see policies that are put in place for them and that benefit them, we appreciate them.”
He reiterated that NANS appreciates good policies and rejects being used for political agendas. He also dismissed rumours of violence involving him, asserting that such events would have caused a national reaction if they were true.
The NANS president also addressed recent allegations that some schools are misappropriating NELFund student loan funds. He confirmed that they had evidence and was assured that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) was already investigating. Meetings are scheduled between SUG presidents and NANS executives to address the issue.
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