From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has commended Seyi Tinubu, son of the President Bola Tinubu, for lending his support to Akinteye Babatunde Afeez’s bid for the Senate Presidency of the students’ body.
The South West Chapter of NANS gav the commendation in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement was endorsed byAlao John, Coordinator of NANS Southwest Zone D; Alimi Lekan Idris, Chairman, NANS, Lagos Axis; Salami Rosheed Abayomi, Acting Chairman NANS, Ondo State; Ridwan Adegoke, Chairman, NANS, Oyo State Axis; Aderibigbe Adekunlle, Chairman, NANS JCC, Ekiti State Axis; and Ogungbe Adedamola, Chairman, NANS, Osun State Axis.
The statement read in part: “Your support to the aspiration of Afeez to emerge as NANS Senate President is without a doubt, a welcome development that deserves recognition and applause from well-meaning Nigerian students.”
NANS went on to condemn criticism of Tinubu’s endorsement of Afeez, saying it was necessary to respect all opinions, saying: “Given Seyi Tinubu’s stature as a prominent public figure signifies not only his faith in the National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) but also his unwavering commitment to nation building.
“His dedication to identify with the aspirations and voices of young Nigerians is a testament to his commitment to the cause of youth/students empowerment and national development.
“While we respect diverse opinions and the right to express oneself, we find it necessary to condemn any unwarranted criticism by these attention seekers and affirm the fundamental rights of a private citizen to support any candidate he so wishes.
“We hereby state emphatically that, while we uphold the right of individuals to express their opinions, it is crucial that such expression be rooted in respectful discourse and constructive enhancement.
To this effect, we condemn the statement and unwarranted criticism that fails to engage in a substantive discussion of the merits and demerits of candidate’s endorsement.
“Our candid advice to this attention seekers and myopic individuals is to channel this energy towards gathering votes and support for their own candidate, if they have any.”
The group however, described Afeez as “an exceptional candidate for the NANS Senate Presidency. His track record of activism, leadership and advocacy within the students community is a testament to his unwavering dedication to the welfare of Nigerian students.”
