By Jane Okafor, Abuja
Nigerian students, under the aegis of the National Association of Polytechnics Students (NAPS), have declared the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and barred him from their campuses in Nigeria.
The students said the decision followed Obi’s failure to retract alleged false and misleading information about what transpired recently during a student union election in Auchi Polytechnics Auchi, Edo State.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, NAPS’ president, Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, said Obi’s failure to retract his alleged misleading claims create doubt about his integrity as a leader.
Oghayan claimed that the offending statement by Obi was not only false, but it was also reckless.
He called on the former governor of Anambra State to draw comparisons between the actions of students and those of political leaders, implying that student unrest was a result of ‘leaders, who have chosen to fight, snatch, grab power and run with it.’
Oghayan said, “Even more concerning is the pattern emerging from his actions. Mr. Obi, without due verification, recently misled the public with false information regarding the student union government (SUG) elections in Auchi Polytechnics.
“In a widely circulated statement, he claimed: ‘I watched a heartbreaking video that showed students in Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State running for their lives as they were being shot during their student election which left two students dead and several injured.
“We, as the direct custodians of student welfare, held a press conference and called on Mr. Obi to retract the statement and issue a public apology, especially to the student community of Auchi Polytechnic.
“Yet, he remained silent. The same man who built his campaign around ‘go and verify’ failed to verify before peddling unsubstantiated claims. That is not leadership; it is manipulation.
“Having failed to retract his false statement and refusing to issue a public apology to the student community in Auchi Polytechnic and the nation at large, we are left with no choice.
“By the moral authority and Constitutional responsibility vested in the office of the President of NAPS, I, Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, hereby declare Mr. Peter Obi as persona non grata on all campuses of our institutions across the country, with a mandated distance of not less than 10 kilometres from any student community.
“This is not vengeance. It is a call for accountability. Leadership cannot preach what it refuses to practice. Influence must not become an avenue for institutional interference,” Oghayan.
He also faulted Obi’s claim that Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, barred him from the state, clarifying that the governor’s directive was only intended for security consideration.
Oghayan said, “Governor Okpebholo may have spoken with bluntness, but his concern was rooted in security intelligence and recent events.
“If any high-profile visit carries a track record of civil unrest and casualties, then a call for security coordination is not just justified – it is essential.
“Indeed, reports confirmed that three lives were tragically lost shortly after Mr Obi’s last visit to the state. In light of such unrest, what responsible governor would fold his arms and play passive?
“It is commendable that Mr. Obi made a N15million donation to St. Philomena’s Catholic Hospital. Generosity towards health and humanitarian causes is noble and worthy of note.
“This is the same Mr. Obi, who famously declared during his campaign that ‘he doesn’t give shishi,’ a slogan that became both a mantra and identity of his political movement.
“But today, we see him making high-profile donations in public glare. Is this growth or contradiction?
“Furthermore, when public donations are made to churches, hospitals, or other faith-based institutions, they must be approached with strategic discretion and in consultation with relevant security authorities.
“Otherwise, such noble institutions may become unintended targets of violence – as evidenced by the chaos that followed his recent visit,” Oghayan said.
