The President of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union (UISU), Comrade Adeboye Temidayo, has distanced the Union from allegations made by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) against the University’s outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale.
In a statement shared on X, Adeboye said the NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, neither consulted him nor the leadership of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union before issuing a press release criticising the Vice-Chancellor’s administration.
“The publication was made without any consultation with me or the leadership of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union,” Adeboye said. “At no point was I contacted to verify the allegations contained therein, neither did I authorize anyone to speak on behalf of our Union.”
The UISU President said that throughout his tenure, the Students’ Union had consistently engaged the University Management on issues affecting students, including organising protests and negotiating with the administration when necessary.
According to him, while those engagements were sometimes difficult, they resulted in dialogue and meaningful resolutions without the victimisation of student leaders. He added that, based on his experience as Students’ Union President, the allegations and characterisation of Professor Adebowale contained in the NANS statement were “unfounded” and did not reflect his experience with the Vice-Chancellor’s administration.
“While no administration is without its disagreements, I will not support or remain silent in the face of allegations that, in my considered opinion, are inconsistent with the facts as I have experienced them,” he stated.
Adeboye also maintained that the University of Ibadan Students’ Union remains the legitimate body to communicate the position of UI students on matters concerning the institution. “The University of Ibadan Students’ Union has a proud history of intellectual, courageous, and responsible unionism. We have never outsourced our mandate to speak for our students, and we never will,” he said.
The rebuttal came a day after the NANS President issued a strongly worded press release accusing the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of pursuing anti-student policies during his tenure.In the statement dated 23 July 2026, Akinteye described Professor Adebowale’s administration as oppressive, alleging that students were subjected to hardship and that student leaders who challenged university policies were intimidated, suspended and expelled.
He also called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure over alleged corruption-related controversies.
Responding to the UISU President’s statement, Akinteye insisted that NANS’ position on the outgoing Vice-Chancellor “remains unchanged.” He argued that “no amount of carefully worded congratulatory messages or attempts to rewrite history” could erase what he described as the experiences of many students under Professor Adebowale’s administration.
The NANS President cited the expulsion of protesting students, noting that the affected students later secured a favourable court judgment but alleged that the University appealed the decision instead of allowing them to return to complete their education.
He also referenced increases in school fees during the administration, saying many students struggled to meet the financial demands and resorted to crowdfunding and public appeals to remain in school. Akinteye further stated that NANS had received repeated complaints from students alleging anti-student policies throughout the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure, adding that the association’s responsibility is to represent the interests and experiences of Nigerian students.
While acknowledging the UISU President’s right to express his views, Akinteye argued that no single student leader could invalidate what he described as the experiences of thousands of students affected by the administration’s policies. “NANS will continue to stand with every student whose rights are threatened, whose voice is suppressed, or whose future is placed at risk by policies that undermine access to education,” he said.
