By Asiat Meikudi
It’s exactly 30 days since Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto conducted her Students’ Union elections for the 2022/2023 academic session.
After the elections on 8th June 2023, all the newly elected executive members were subsequently inaugurated on the 9th June.
However, up till now, the result of the office of the Welfare Director is still hanging in the balance for want of inconclusiveness.
While speaking with the News Digest Press after the inauguration of the newly elected Students’ Union Executives, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Muhammad Bashir Achida said the reason was not connected with election misconduct.
He said the inconclusiveness has nothing to do with electoral malpractice or any kind of election misconduct.
The Chairman however stated that the inconclusiveness is directly related to contestants of the office_ Abdullahi zakari Yari, Hammed Yusuf Akintoye and Muhammad Nafiu.
But the silence of the SU Elcom and the management for over three weeks
has triggered mixed reactions from the students of Danfodiyo varsity.
While some were seeking to know the true reason behind the inconclusiveness, others urged the school management to swiftly look into the matter and announced the resolution.
Suleiman Abdulkabir, a 300-Level student of English and Literary Studies expressed that the vacancy of the welfare director seat was not the best option and the steps to ameliorate the issue should be disclosed.
“The election featured all the necessary procedures, the contestants were all screened as part of the prerequisite for contesting. I don’t think the inauguration should raise any unraveling dust,” he said.
He, however, believed declaring the real reason for the inconclusive result is enough to clear the concerns and worry.
“The reason for declaring the election inconclusive should be transparent and announced.”
Taofeeq Imam, a 300-level student of Political Science said the SU Elcom and the management ought to have broken silence over the issue.
“It’s not really encouraging for them to be silent over the issue for whatever reason.
We don’t know what the outcome is up to now and it’s very discouraging. So I plead with the committee to do something about the issue,” he said.
Also, Dauda Musbau, a 200-level student on his own part urged the electoral commission to seek transparency over the issue and feed Danfodites with the desirable result.
“It is high time Elcom informed us what was amiss. For transparency’s sake, we need to know why the office of Welfare Director is still vacant and why this election was declared inconclusive.
Meanwhile, Ayinla Abdulbasit said: “I think the issue of inconclusive posts is just like deprivation of rights. Election was conducted following the normal and right procedure of an election and the aspirants were all screened.”
The Matter is With the Security Division — Dean Students Affairs
While speaking with the Elcom Chairman, Bashir Muhammad Achida directed the News Digest Press to reach out to the Dean of Students Affairs over the issue.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Professor Umar Aliyu, the Dean of Student Affairs told this pressboard that the issue would be resolved after the necessary findings, adding that the matter is with the security division.
“I do not intervene because the Elcom chairman has assured me that the issue is still with the security division.”
He expressed further that the issue is not beyond rectification and that everything would be resolved after the thorough finding.