Group Accuses UNIOSUN Management Of Interference Over Alumni Election

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

A non governmental organisation, People’s Advocacy Vanguard (PAV), has sounded a notice of warning to UNIOSUN management, Alumni Board of Trustee, and Uniosun Alumni Association, to declare recent alumni election that produced one Aboderin Olumuyiwa Aduragbemi as null and void.

The organisation further threatened to drag the BoT and the alumni Electoral Committee before the court if they fail to expedite action and act within seven days.

The group, in a press statement issued and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Ogundele Babatope, alleged that the said election was marred with irregularities occasioned by failure to follow the due process as stipulated by the association’ s constitution.

Aduragbemi had earlier told the BoT that he was the facility manager and business development manager of a Transport Infrastructure, Engineering and Procurement Organization” Planet Project Ltd, in Lagos.

PAV explained that it had gotten a voicenote where Aduragbemi was to quoted to have had a meeting with the institution’s Vice Chancellor and the Registrar, with the alumni BoT in attendance where the VC and Registrar faulted the position of BoT on his (Aduragbemi) place of work.

According to the statement, “it is imperative for the alumni BoT and the electoral body to nullify the election that produced Aboderin Ademuyiwa Aduragbemi on the ground that he is not qualified to contest the poll at initial stage.

“On May 4, 2018, a voicenote was released on the alumni whatapp platform by Mr Aduragbemi regarding his work position, where he claimed that the school management (V C and Registrar), the Uniosun alumni BoT and himself held a meeting and the VC and Registrar faulted the alumni position over the information he gave as regards his place of work”

“The university management should steer clear from our electoral matter, it is crystal clear that Aduragbemi has deliberately misled the BoT and electoral committee by providing false information about himself and his position in his place of work.

“Aduragbemi had earlier told the BoT that he was the facility manager and business development manager of a transport infrastructure, engineering and procurement organizations ” Planet Project Ltd, in Lagos, which is an absolute falsehood”.

The NGO while reiterating it’s stance on the need for non-interference of the management, warning the institution management to steer clear from the matter arguing that alumni is an independent entity in all ramifications.

“We are principally writing to challenge the qualification of Aboderin Ademuyiwa Aduragbemi to contest in the election.

“Mr Aboderin gave false information about himself in relation to his designation . This is flagrant disobedience to article 15(E) of the constitution of the association and the rules contain in the guidelines for the completion of nomination for candidate

“Article 15(E) of the constitution and the rules contained in the guidelines for the completion of nomination form for candidate prohibit giving of false information by the content of any post in the executive officers of the association. Any contestant found wanting in this regards would be disqualified from participating in the election.

“Aduragbemi falsely stated in the information supplied by him that he works as facility manager and business development, manager of transport, infrastructure, Engineering and Procurement organization named Planet Project Ltd.

“We have found out that Aduragbemi does not occupy the office of a development manager in Planet Project Ltd.

“His claim is thus false and nothing but criminal representation. This is in clear disobedience to the provision of the constitution and the rules contained in the guidelines for the completion of nomination forms for the candidates and election agents.

” This flagrant manipulation of electoral process by the candidate and election agents attracts outright disqualification of the candidate or agent who gave the false information. We refer the BoT and electoral committee to article 15(E) of the constitution of the association and NOTE at the footage of page 3 of the said guideline.

“We also find out that Aduragbemi and some of his cohorts in the said election did not fulfill their financial obligations to the association and by this they have violated Article 9(E) and 15 (E) (viii) of the Association’s constitution, 2016.

“Meanwhile, as clearly stated in the Article 9(E)(i) that only members that have fulfilled all their financial obligations to the association as at when due or allowed by this constitution are eligible to contest for any post.

“We hereby call on the BoT and the electoral committee to nullify and declare the election which produced Aduragbemi as null and void, having giving false information about himself in the electoral process of the association. He was not qualified in the first place to stand for the election at all, therefore not eligible to participate in the election”, the statement said.