Students deny endorsing Akeredolu’s 2nd term

Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Student leaders from various tertiary institutions in Ondo State, yesterday denied endorsing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for second term in office.

Students Union Government (SUG) presidents from the tertiary institutions dissociated themselves from claim that Ondo students had endorsed Akeredolu, saying the claim was a political gimmick.

Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, SUG President, Daniel Obagunwa, who read a statement signed by the SUG presidents, said at no time did any student group endorsed Akeredolu.

“The SUG presidents across campuses in Ondo State hereby dissociate ourselves from the publication from an unrecognised body, Aketi Students Support Group, connecting us with a declaration of support for the second term bid of Governor Akeredolu.

“We, as students leaders, have series of requests on the table of Mr. Governor seeking full reversal of the tuition increments across campuses. We also demand full implementation of agreements earlier reached with the students to uplift infrastructure on campuses,” the SUG presidents said in the statement.

Obagunwa alleged that SUG presidents across higher institutions in the state had been offered bribe to endorse Governor Akeredolu, but they turned down the offer because the governor had refused to reverse the increment in tuitions of all state-owned institutions.

The student leaders, therefore, called on Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dotun Owanikin, to call the group championing the re-election of Akeredolu to order.

He said the SUG presidents had written and submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, to effect the arrest of the group of impostors, who they said are not students.

They urged the police commissioner to take action  to avoid face-off between them and the impostors who they said are denting the image of authentic students of tertiary institutions in the state.