By Abdulrasheed Olokoto

Following an emergency sitting held on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the University of Ibadan Students’ Representative Council (UI SRC) has adopted the unilateral induction of Honourable Adedeji Stanley, popularly known as Odidiomo, into the 13th Assembly. In doing so, the Council defied the Students’ Union’s Constitution.

According to a memo released by the Council and co-signed by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. John Oludele, and the Clerk, Hon. Obi Chiamaka Joan, the decision followed clarifications provided by the Speaker on the issues surrounding the induction.

“The Council considered matters arising from the actions and activities of the Speaker, particularly the circumstances surrounding the proposed Legislative Summit and the ₦50 million pledge made in connection with the proposed programme. The Speaker provided clarification on the processes leading to the pledge, the proposed implementation of the programme, and the circumstances surrounding the engagement,” the memo read.

“The Council further considered concerns regarding the induction of Rt Honorable Adedeji Stanly Olajide into the 13th Assembly, the procedural requirements relating to such induction, the political neutrality of the SRC, and other matters arising from the deliberations,” it added.

After further deliberations and engagements, the Council accepted the induction.

“The Council accepted the induction of Rt. Honourable Adedeji Stanley into the 13th Assembly,” the memo declared.

Recall that the induction was unilaterally carried out by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. John Oludele, without first carrying the Council along. However, the Students’ Union Constitution is clear on how membership of the Council and the Union is acquired.

This action violate the Students’ Union Constitution which prescribes how a person can become a member of the Council.

Article XVII, Rule 2 provides that:

“Membership of Council shall consist of:

(a) Representatives elected from the respective Halls of Residence on the basis of one member representing not less than 100 students.

(b) Not more than five persons, at least two of whom shall be foreign students, to be co-opted by the Executive Committee to represent interests, which may not be adequately represented in Council.

(c) The representative from each hall who scores the highest number of votes shall be called ‘majority leader’.

(d) The Presidents of Faculty Students Associations are automatic members of the Council.”

For membership of the Union, Article III, Rule 1 provides that the classes of membership of the Union shall consist of:

“(a) Ordinary Members: An ordinary member shall be any matriculated student of the University pursuing a full-time degree course of study, provided that such a student shall have paid his/her Union subscriptions.

(b) Honorary Members: The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) may confer honorary membership on any person or persons by the reason of the interest of such a person or persons in students and academic matters, especially, as relating to the Union and the University of Ibadan. A person shall be conferred with an honorary membership of the Union, through a motion to that effect, supported by not less than 2/3 of the membership of the SRC present and voting at a special meeting. Any persons so conferred with honorary membership of the Union shall be awarded a certificate signed by the President of the Union and the Speaker of the SRC.

(c) Life Members: Life membership shall be conferred on such past members of the Union as may be appointed by the Students Representative Council to the Roll of Honors of the Students’ Union by reasons of their past activities in the Union and their interest and role in public life. Any person(s) so honored with such an appointment shall be by a motion supported by 4/5th of the membership of the SRC present at a special meeting of the Council and shall be awarded a certificate signed by the President of the Union and the Speaker of the SRC.”

In this instance, none of the constitutional provisions cited above appears to provide for the unilateral induction of a person into the Students’ Representative Council by the Speaker.

While the Council has now retrospectively accepted the induction, the circumstances surrounding the initial process raise questions about whether the constitutional procedure for acquiring membership of the Council was followed.

The central issue, therefore, is not simply the Council’s subsequent acceptance of the induction, but whether the procedure through which Hon. Stanley Odidiomo was initially inducted was consistent with the Students’ Union Constitution.