By: IndyPress News Desk 

Some students of the University of Ibadan have condemned what they described as a controversial press release by the Students’ Union Executive Committee, regarding the four-semester suspension of two students, Ayodele Aduwo, a 400-level History, and Mide Gbadegesin, a 700-level student at the Institute of African Studies.

Recall that Aduwo Ayodele and Mide Gbadegesin were on July 14 handed a four-semester suspension over a placard protest, initiated against imminent fee concerns during the inauguration of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union Executive Committee and Students’ Representative Council on May 13, 2024.

The Students’ Union Executive Committee, led by Covenant Odedele, put out a four-page press release on July 23, 2025.

The press release, indicating the Union’ stance or position on the verdict imposed on the affected students, notably has attracted criticism from some students and the public, with many describing it as an aberration of an ideal unionism.

An X user, BadYorubaMan, condemned the Union’ stance regarding the suspension, describing it as not being solution-oriented.

“So with all these shalaye nothing meaningful deh there?? Una go just drop press release with no absolute intent of procuring solution..,” BadYorubaMan wrote.

Another user, Kaychamky, described the Student’ Union President, Covenant Odedele, as weak. ”Looo, trash. I am not surprised. I have always perceived the new sheriff as a weakling. Man had no business in a SU.”

Another user said, ”Funny how you think you can intellectually engage a management that strives on silencing disagreement. Weytin deyy una empty heads weyy you wan tell management weyy no rate us? This release insults the spirit of unionism. Shame on you.”

“With this verbose and windy press release, the question is: towards what purpose? If you guys are not truly an instrument of oppression and demand that justice be sustained, then you should have hit the street and speak through your actions rather than this word-to-impress,” another tweet shared on July 24, 2025 reads.

Broader Reactions 

Civil rights organizations have unreservedly condemned the suspension of the affected students.

Amnesty International, on July 14, 2025, called for the reversal of the suspension of the duo, asserting the students’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and protest.

“Amnesty International strongly condemns the suspension and the relentless persecution of Ayodele Aduwo, Nice Linus and Mide Gbadegesin by the University Of Ibadan for speaking up against outrageous fee hike in 2024. The decision of the university to suspend them for four semesters must be reversed. No one should be punished for decrying the university’s fee hike during Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in a generation.”

“The management of University of Ibadan had, over a year, subjected the students to unfair processes, including students series of bizarre disciplinary hearings. The three students exercised their right to peaceful protest and the university has a national and international obligation to respect the right to peaceful dissent,” it added.

Adding to the outcry, the Students’ Union leadership of FUOYE-Ekiti, on July 19, 2025, called for the reversal of the suspension of the two students.

FUOYE leadership emphasized the students’ right, describing the suspension verdict as unfair and unjust.

“The UI3’s protest highlights the crises of affordability in education, forcing some students into desperate measures to survive. We cannot allow such injustice to stand. We pledge our full support to the UI3 and the #FeesMustFall movement, committing to mobilize our members and collaborate with civil society to ensure justice,” FUOYE Students’ Union wrote.

“We call on the University of Ibadan to reinstate the UI3, reverse the fees hike and uphold students’ right to protest,” it added.

Lending its voice on Facebook to the suspension, an activist and former Students’ Union President of Obafemi Awolowo University, Adeola Soetan, described the suspension imposed on the students as draconian and undemocratic, charging the students of the University of Ibadan to be vigilant and resist attempts at gagging dissent.

“An injury to one is an injury to all. UI students should rise up to defend their suspended colleagues because they spoke for you and they are still speaking for you. Your old generation of UI students had done it before and you too can and must do it now because any fund reduction and better welfare benefits of the protest is for all without exception. If not, you are all in danger of losing your freedom and right to education,” Mr Soetan wrote.

“I hope the university system won’t get to that point of Alapansanpa masquerade tactic of conflict resolution due to the unending mismanagement of simple protest by students and workers I join all discerning Nigerians of good conscience to demand for unconditional reinstatement of these three student activists. Solidarity for ever,” he added.

Despite being saddled with the constitutional mandate to make the Students’ Union policies and represent students’ welfare, the Students’ Representative Council (12th Assembly), led by Shoge Quadri, has remained officially silent on the suspension.

As of press time, there has been no official statement from the Council regarding its position on the development.