NANCE 2020 Election Irregularities (Observation) -By Afeez Rabiu

Bureaucracy, bribery, corruption ravages NANCE administration

: Electoral chairman demands 5000 naira bribe from aspirants.
: What hope is left of Nigerian youths
: Call for the total overhauling of the NANCE current administration
: Members of NANCE reacts Unions pull out of the body

It was an eventful week observing activities on the National Association of Nigeria Campus Editors NANCE platform on social media as the body held its annual election to bring in a new administration. The association is regarded as an umbrella body for campus Journalists and editors in the Campus journalism sphere and it is like an imitate of the mainstream Nigerian Guild of editors, basically a media-related association.

It was a very interesting experience as I tried putting in my experience as a one-time election observer at the 2018 Osun State gubernatorial polls, an off-cycle election which exposed me to lots of knowledge about the election process in the conventional sphere and also helping me gain practical knowledge and experience, first-hand on the field, observing from Ilesha-west local government area of the state alongside a fellow campus Journalist as at then under the guidance of the premium times center for investigative journalism PTCIJ, all thanks to Premium Times and Center for Democracy and Development CDD and all other major sponsors then, we were well treated.

That being said, my passion for investigative journalism rose to a high point after meeting with various campus Journalist across the country then showing the courage and zeal to do exploits on the field of investigative Journalism, the likes of Alfred Olufemi, Adejumo Kabir both from the Obafemi Awolowo University ile ife Osun State, Ibrahim Alawode, Alao Abiodun and Akinpelu Yusuf of the Premier University of Ibadan, Amire Segun and Daniel White of Federal University Oye Ekiti FUOYE and many more.

There is no gainsaying how disappointing the electoral process went. Ill rather give detailed and extensive reports of all that I observed, mind you, I am no longer a member of the association as at when this report is being carried out because I graduated from school earlier this year and the event is just days ago.
The current administration has Oladimeji John Jonathan as the president and General Secretary, Elijah Madubuihe.

The president solely appointed an electoral committee to carry out the duties of an electoral college in process, a decision which was hitherto revealed to be against the said Association constitution as the committee obviously constitute unqualified persons as chaired by one Anuoluwapo Olude whos studentship is yet to be affirmed till I write as there was a lot of back and forth over claims that he is a student of the Lagos State University and is being denied by the leadership of the said University’s Press association whom in the first place should be the only door to his entrance into NANCE, that is of he is actually a student of LASU anyways. It was eventually revealed that the incumbent president as a personal relationship the appointed chairman of the electoral committee haven knowing him from another institution where is claimed to have attended before being admitted into the Lagos State University.

It is clearly evident that the current administration of NANCE runs a bureaucratic system of the government appointing people with a popular parameter in the Nigerian political sphere known as man-know-man, a very condemnable act in an organisation meant to be a stepping stone and an incubation centre for Youth that are sharpening their teeth to step into mainstream Media and join the Fourth estate of government in checkmating the political activity of the executive, legislative,  judiciary and in fact the entire society at large. I regret saying the association is a total disaster currently.

Over 10 schools were to participate in the electoral process as reports give.  shows that aspirants sprung up from over 10 schools and registered by buying forms to participate in the electoral process competing for seats in the administrative realm of the Association.

Electoral process began after the aspirants were gathered in WhatsApp group for a campaign purpose and manifesto recitation. Without a clearly stated voting process by the electoral committee schools under the Association were instructed to send in a list of 7 delegates who are going to take part in voting process  these names were compiled and they all went to pool on the 5th of September 2020 in an online voting using the Google form format. Experience race alarms of irregularities beginning with the delay in the commencement of the electoral process scheduled for 10 a.m. as beginning time but eventually started around 12:00 going to 4 p.m. as rescheduled.
Electoral chairman demands 5000 naira bribe from aspirants:

Few minutes into the electoral process one of the aspirants Kareem Azeez called my attention to his encounter with the electoral committee chairman who has called him to demand he paid a bribe because his boss referring to the incumbent president already has a candidate to feeding for the Post he is aspiring for, I immediately told the aspirant to play along so as to get more information on for the evidence to back up his claims which he did
A phone call between the aspirant of electoral chairman he was recorded containing full conversation regarding the accusation of the electoral chairman demanding for the price of 5000 Naira from the aspirants to save him from losing the election was delivers to me they’re on  WhatsApp by the aspirant which I told him to demand that the electoral chairman sent in account details for him to pay into which fortunately went well as the electoral chairman ignoring sent his personal account details for the money to be paid into and I went ahead to tell the aspirant not to make any payment and not to reply the electoral chairman again till the election results were announced later in the evening which he obliged.

The drama continued after results were posted on the group and the said aspirants eventually lost and the group went on a rampage when a member of the group raised the issue of the price demanded by the electoral chairman but immediately another number of the association on the order by the incumbent president swiftly removed the complainant from the police for the list an outraged by the other group members did not think that the complainant will be added back to the to finish what we were saying the obliged and added that the complainants who went ahead to send in evidence containing pictorial chart between the chairman and the heart and audio conversation between them the accusation on the electoral chairman demanding a 5000 a reply from him earlier in the day.

The same admin immediately removed the electoral chairman from the group saving him from defending himself against the said accusation and living the Grove in a state of disbelief and arguments without sending in any form of defense or response to the claim made.

I was overwhelmed with surprises at what I saw happening even at the lowest level of administration by the expected youths we expect to lead our tomorrow and take us to the promised Land but unfortunately, here they are threading the part of corrupt leaders past in fact playing politics as a dirty game as it is popularly connoted.

The incumbent president eventually spoke up after a long silence obviously taking his time to digest all that has been said on the group to know where it’s coming from as he saw obviously Coffeyville of the word accusation laid on the chairman of the electoral committee.

Giving excuses for the disappearance of the accused electoral chairman he said he would constitute an investigation committee to look into the allegations and verify the evidence is sent in by the complainant and as well trying to sway the attention of members on the group by noting that he perceived after listening to the conversation that there is more to the accusation because both the experience that complained and the electoral chairman were from the same school which also brings of the issue of doubted studentship of the said electoral chairman.

What hope is left of Nigerian youths?
It was a bad experience seeing all that does get with the Nigerian youth who I expected to be the leaders of tomorrow already engaging at this stage of their life in bribery corruption and all manner of vices which brings us to the question of what foods is left of the Nigerian youths?

Student unionism has been crumbled and shattered to a level where it is not viable compared to what it was in the past saint’s sole aim at being a selfish interest of individuals wanting to take up the mantle of leadership even at the smallest leaf for their selfish material gains and popularity it is quite evident in many student union governments today gay Rights have been bought off and yet I keep complaining that’s the administration of schools are not given the needed liberty to student Union Association not knowing we sold her birthright it’s funny we refuse to understand that he who pay the Piper dictates tone and here we are today wallowing in our own miss Fortune has created with our own hands.
It is a pity that this selfie feel represent the quality of Nigerian youth but because of how sneaky and trick they could be the man fight their way true the representative helm of the affair of the youth thereby standing as the face or mouthpiece of a very vast number of hard-working diligent and opportunity in No way online with the first character of their shared leadership.

Call for the total overhauling of the NANCE current administration:

Finally, in a bid to ensure that the National Association of Nigeria campus editor gets back do it reputable States and respected image this is a call for the total overhauling of the association if need be for scrap so as to avoid continuous breeding of criminals and louts alike who’s selfish interest has taken over their reasonable thinking, so as not to continue the corrupt practices there’s really influencing more of Nigerian well-meaning youths with this their bad character and I also call on the schools on these individuals indicted in this matter to take drastic steps on calling their students to order as this doesn’t give a good image to their institution of learning and the state at large.

The institution has no doubt had great personalities in the past the members and even administrators alike, but as it is currently the body has been heavily corrupted and it seems it will take a serious intervention to rebuild the association as it has lost all reputation in the face of members and that of the general public at large.

Campus journalism is here to stay and it will continue now the free corner of Nigerian tertiary institution and ambitious and serious journalists will be discovered and many will make their way into the mainstream and to exploit as well going through the right part with the right support and avoiding taking part and corrupt practices like it are being undertaken in the current NANCE administration.

Members of NANS react, Unions pull out of the body
sequel to the rampage on the WhatsApp platform after the Revelation and all that followed,  members Association have started showing mixed feelings and reactions to the Revelation and all that has been said on the WhatsApp group some have even taken the bold step off withdrawing their membership from the Association condemning the act totally and therefore revoking their members from taking part in activities related to that of the Association.

It is not expected of every well-meaning person to stay away from danger when they see one so I do not blame those that have left and yet to leave even those planning to exit the association currently because it is currently in its walls state and dispensation.
The National Union of campus journalist NUCJ is always there to cover the rights of the campus Journalists and is a cover that is needed all through their stay on campus while practicing journalism in its embryo.

I also see no necessary need to further engage students in an Association that is already proliferated with corrupt Minds to have nothing to offer us with their influence in a sizeable number of youths with bad attitudes.

The billion bitcoin question now remains  whom do we rest our hopes on  as the youths has failed us yet again?

Below are Evidences and Recorded calls between the Aspirant and the IEC chairman