45-year-old Civil Servant Emerges NANS President

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has elected Sunday Asefon as its new President amid chaos and violence that characterised its convention at the old parade ground, Abuja on Thursday.

Asefon, a civil servant with the Ekiti State Government, got 155 votes to defeat his closest rival, Olushola Oladoja, who scored 100 votes.

The 45-year old, reported to be a student of Ekiti State University, replaces Bamidele Akpan.

The election was, on Thursday, disrupted by violence.

About 20 members of the association, who gathered at the old parade ground in Abuja for the convention, sustained wounds from gunshots and machete after thugs loyal to a factional coordinator of the association in Zone D (Southwest) began attacking delegates.

The thugs, numbering over 20, stormed the venue with dangerous weapons while accreditation of Students Union Government (SUG) Presidents under NANS Zone B and Zone D was in progress.

DSS operatives allegedly arrested the National Public Relations Officer of the association, Azeez Adeyemi, after guns and ammunition were found in a bus belonging to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY).

The security agency also arrested other occupiers of the bus who are students’ leaders from Ogun State.