OAU Decides: Campaign Ban To Be Lifted March 7

There are strong indications that the ban on campaigns across the campus by contestants for various positions in the leadership of the Students' Union of Obafemi Awolowo University will be lifted in about one week time.

Barring any unforeseen last minute changes to the present controversial school academic calendar, the Electoral Commission will be constituted by the Students' Representative Council via nominations after which the campaign ban will be lifted. This was confirmed to our correspondents by some stakeholders of the Union earlier today. A parliamentarian who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity explained that the Union leadership is making moves to ensure a quick transition in leadership if possible before the general election which kicks off March 28. "Since our school calendar remains doubtful, hence there are considerations to ensure the Students' Union elections are held before the exam which has been slated to commence March 31st"

The Parliamentarian also spoke about the intention of the Parliament to take proactive steps to avoid the abuse and non-adherence to the Constitution unlike what befell the Union during the last election.

"The Alabi Abeeb-led Electoral Commission last year grossly failed to adhere to the constitution as the timetable for the elections went against what was stipulated in the Constitution. There are stipulated structures on election timetable but last year, the commission did what they felt was right. Remember, some students were shabbily disenfranchised last year also. All these we hope to avoid this time since we have SRC on ground."

Article V, Section 60, Sub-section 4 of the sacrosanct constitution of the Students' Union, OAU provides that the constituted Electoral Commission shall organize and effectively supervise all Union elections and bye elections with utmost good faith.

Even as these prospective contestants await the official lifting of campaign ban, many of them have resorted to pasting papers on walls of campus buildings and meeting students one-on-one.