As Nigeria marks the 26th anniversary of its democracy on June 12, the irony playing out in the nation’s higher institutions offers a bleak reflection of the democratic values the day is meant to uphold. Across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, student unionism—once a vibrant force of engagement and accountability—has become a shadow of itself, marred by apathy, manipulation, and violence.
At the University of Ibadan (UI), the February 2025 Student Union election recorded a turnout of just 5,347 voters out of over 33,000 students, according to figures obtained from the Students’ Affairs Division. This is barely 16% of the entire student population. The election, which was conducted via e-voting, revealed a deeply rooted indifference among students. Despite the convenience of online voting, the majority ignored the process. When approached for comments, many students told The Nigeria Education News that their parents “sent them to school to read, not to vote,” even though they later blamed the union for failing to protest a sharp increase in school fees.
A similar trend was observed at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), where only about 6,100 students participated in the last Student Union Government (SUG) election out of a total population of 48,642, as reported by the Directorate of Students Affairs. Like UI, FUOYE also used an e-voting system. Yet, students who refused to participate turned around to accuse the SUG of incompetence and bias once the results didn’t go their way.
At the University of Ilorin, The Nigeria Education News correspondents attempting to cover the student union election were denied access by the electoral committee. According to them, the process was an “internal affair,” raising concerns about transparency and accountability. Attempts to engage officials on the reason for excluding the media from a democratic process were met with silence. Students, on the other hand, voiced fears that the lack of oversight could enable electoral malpractice.
This culture of disengagement and institutional manipulation is not limited to individual schools—it is systemic. In February 2025, during the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) convention held in Abuja, chaos erupted at the accreditation center in Asokoro. Correspondents from The Nigeria Education News witnessed students arriving with machetes, axes, charms, and even guns. Our Correspondents confirmed that violence broke out, with security operatives such as DSS officers being physically confronted by student groups.
Despite the glaring incidents of violence and electoral malpractice, several media outlets, which were not present during the voting process, reported the NANS election as “peaceful, free, and fair.” This whitewashing of events starkly contrasts the lived reality of students and observers who were present. Many candidates who emerged as winners were backed by political godfathers, ethnic group sponsors, or even non-student actors, including street gangs and external thugs parading as delegates.
The tragedy is not only in the violence or apathy but in the deliberate sabotage orchestrated by university managements. Across several institutions, sources within Students’ Affairs offices confirmed that certain vice-chancellors and deans actively interfere in SUG elections by supporting “anointed candidates” who would rubber-stamp management policies. In some cases, students perceived as too vocal or independent are disqualified under flimsy pretexts or intimidated into silence.
In Lagos State University (LASU), the 2024 union election was reportedly postponed three times due to what the Students’ Affairs Office termed “technical difficulties.” However, student groups allege that the repeated delays were intended to allow management-backed candidates more time to mobilize resources and suppress opposition. Similar cases have been reported at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, and Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, where electoral committees are often chaired by management staff rather than students.
In Bayero University Kano (BUK), although elections are largely peaceful, turnout has been abysmally low. Data from the 2023/2024 election cycle showed that out of over 38,000 registered students, fewer than 7,500 voted. Students cited fear of victimization, lack of credible candidates, and a general belief that “nothing ever changes” as reasons for staying away.
At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), elections are sometimes conducted without a full list of eligible voters being published, leaving many students in the dark about who can participate. An SUG aspirant in the 2023 election cycle told The Nigeria Education News that “some names mysteriously disappear from the system a few hours before voting begins,” effectively disenfranchising dozens of supporters.
The trend continues in polytechnics and colleges of education. At The Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, several students alleged that election outcomes are often predetermined by school authorities. In 2024, a leading SUG presidential candidate was suspended a day before the election for what the management termed “misconduct,” a claim that his supporters say was politically motivated. Similarly, at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, a protest broke out in December 2023 after it was discovered that the winning candidate was not a registered student, but was allowed to contest and win unopposed.
At Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), traditionally known for its radical student politics, voter turnout has dropped significantly. In 2023, the Independent Students Electoral Commission (ISEC) reported only 8,114 voters out of an estimated 27,000 eligible students. Interviews reveal growing disillusionment among students who believe that the union has become a toothless body unable to influence management decisions.
Notably, the trend of low participation is not limited to public universities. In private universities like Covenant University and Babcock University, SUG elections are largely ceremonial. The school authorities appoint or pre-approve candidates, leaving little room for genuine student engagement. Students are often discouraged from even discussing “controversial” matters in their manifestos, under threat of disciplinary action.
The danger of this growing disconnection from democratic processes in higher education is that it mirrors a deeper erosion of civic responsibility. Today’s undergraduates are tomorrow’s voters, civil servants, and leaders. If democracy is being suffocated at the foundational level of tertiary institutions, then the future of national governance is at risk.
More troubling is the fact that security agencies and regulatory bodies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) have remained largely silent. No guidelines are enforced to ensure the transparency of student elections, and no penalties are meted out to institutions found culpable of electoral malpractice or interference.
The rot in student politics is further compounded by the failure of student leaders themselves. Once elected, many disappear into obscurity or form cozy alliances with school managements. Union bank accounts are rarely audited publicly, and many leaders are accused of embezzlement or using their positions as springboards for external political ambitions.
As Nigeria celebrates 25 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, the crisis in student democracy should be a wake-up call. The silence of the Nigerian student, the fear of victimization, the manipulation of democratic structures, and the normalization of violence are all signs that democracy is not thriving in our schools—it is dying. A student from Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), summed it up: “How can we expect a better Nigeria when the very place we are trained to lead the country discourages us from making choices?”
Until students begin to take ownership of their unions, demand electoral transparency, and reject fear and manipulation, the vision of a democratic Nigeria will remain distant. Democracy dies not only when soldiers take over, but also when young people stop believing in the power of their vote.
