Each election or bye-election cycle in a higher institution follows a similar pattern. Declarations of intent. Campaign materials appear on timelines and notice boards. Aspirants suddenly become more visible, more approachable, sometimes overly polite.
None of this is a problem in itself. Student elections serve a real purpose. They encourage civic awareness, test organisational ability, and give the department a chance to identify capable people. What becomes a problem, however, is when the desire to hold office comes before any honest assessment of what that office actually requires.
As students of Political Science, University of Ibadan, look ahead to the coming bye-election, this editorial serves a simple purpose: to remind prospective aspirants what exactly they are stepping into.
What Student Leadership Actually Demands
There is a long-standing distinction between the appearance of leadership and its substance. Leadership scholar John Kotter once noted that effective leaders define direction, align people toward it, and sustain momentum despite obstacles. That principle applies as much to a student association as it does to larger institutions. In a student setting, it matters even more. When an elected officer underperforms, the impact is immediate and visible. This is why two offices in this coming election deserve particular attention: the Sports Director and the Social Director.
The Sports Directorate
Any serious candidate for Sports Director only needs to look at the department’s recent sporting record to understand the scale of the task ahead. Not long ago, under the leadership of Akande Pelumi (Lahor), the department maintained a strong football tradition. Three consecutive Dean’s Cup victories. A Seals Cup title. Consistent final appearances. Those results were not random or accidental. They came from a well structured training session, clear expectations, and a competitive culture that people took seriously.
Last session, however, was a different story. A quarter-final exit in the Seals Cup. A loss in the Dean’s Cup final after three consecutive wins. And beyond the results, there was a noticeable decline in the department’s sporting culture. Training attendance has dropped. There’s less motivation . Team cohesion has also weakened. Other sports almost disappeared entirely from view. Any candidate who ignores these realities will quickly discover that the role is more demanding than it appears.a
The Sports Director’s responsibility is not ceremonial. It is not a convenient addition to a CV. It is the work of rebuilding consistency, restoring the department’s standards, and reviving interest across multiple sports. All of this requires planning, discipline, people management, and the willingness to make decisions that will not always be popular. This is the level the role demands.
The Social Directorate
The Social Director role is often seen as the most accessible of the major offices. That perception tends to attract candidates whose strongest qualification is enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, on its own, is not enough. The most obvious example is the absence of Dinner Night last session. As one of the department’s most anticipated events, its failure to hold was a major disappointment. Organising social events at this level is not as simple as it sounds. It involves budgeting, sourcing sponsors, coordinating vendors, managing timelines, communicating effectively, and preparing for the unexpected. It also requires understanding what students actually want and finding ways to keep them engaged in an already demanding academic environment.
A Social Director who plans well and follows through creates a department that feels alive outside the classroom. It is also important to note that the department operated without a PRO last session, which meant the Social Director informally carried aspects of that responsibility. There is a real possibility that this overlap may continue. This further increases the demands of the role.
Other Vacant Offices
It would be a mistake to treat the Financial Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Officer as secondary roles. The Financial Secretary and Treasurer together form the department’s financial backbone. Proper record-keeping, accountability, and the safe handling of funds rest on these offices. Without them, even the best ideas collapse.
The PRO, on the other hand, is the department’s communication link. When information is not circulated properly, it does more than inconvenience people. It also creates distrust. The person in this role shapes how the department stays informed and how it presents itself. The absence of a PRO last session made this gap quite visible. These offices may not attract all the attention, but it’s the position that brings all the attention to the department. It’s also central to how the association functions.
A Note to Prospective Candidates
Every intending candidate should ask themselves one honest question: have you looked seriously at the current state of the role you want to hold? Not its status, not how it will look on your CV. Its current state. The specific things that are working, things that went wrong, the problems that were left unresolved, the gaps that the last person in that seat did not close. If the answer is no, that is the work that needs to happen before any declaration goes out.
This department does not need candidates. It needs officers, people who have taken stock of what is not working and are coming into this election with a genuine plan to address it. The campaign season is starting. That level of seriousness should already be underway.
