The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has criticized the alleged decision by the management of the Federal University Kashere, FUK, Gombe state, to constitute the institution’s Student Representative Council, SRC, through appointments rather than elections.
In a statement issued by its Vice President for Inter Campus Affairs, Tabitha Babayo, the association described the reported move as a violation of democratic principles and students’ constitutional right to elect their representatives.
NANS argued that the legitimacy of the Student Representative Council rests on a free, fair, credible, and transparent electoral process, warning that appointing student representatives could undermine democratic governance, suppress students’ voices, and create unnecessary tension within the university community.
The association said it would resist what it described as the institutionalisation of anti-democratic practices in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. It called on the Federal University Kashere management to immediately suspend any process aimed at appointing SRC members and instead organise a democratic election in accordance with established procedures.
NANS also appealed to its national leadership, the Zone E Coordinator, security agencies, the university’s Student Affairs Division, the Gombe State Government, the Federal Ministry of Education, and other relevant stakeholders to intervene and protect students’ democratic rights.
Reaffirming its commitment to defending students’ interests, the association said it would continue to pursue lawful and constitutional means to ensure democratic representation across Nigerian campuses.
It further urged the university management to reverse the reported decision, insisting that student representatives should emerge through the ballot and not by administrative appointment.