The management of the University of Ibadan has set the electoral regulations for the 2025 UI’SU election, IndyPress reports.
The regulations have been contained in a memorandum dated October 30, 2025, and signed by the University’s Registrar (Students), S.O Oyewunmi.
An IndyPress review of the regulations confirmed some restricted rules which are contrary to the University of Ibadan Students’ Union Constitution.
According to the regulations, the position for Students’ Union President has now been restricted to aspirants at their penultimate year, a development contrary to the previous Students’ Union election regulations, which allowed students below their penultimate year to contest for the same position.
Additionally, the regulations state that the aspirant for the Union position should not be in their 100 level or first year.
Also, to be eligible for the Union position, aspirants are required to be on 3.0 CGPA (second class upper division) and above (including Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Clerk of SRC), while other aspirants for Students’ Representative Council must be on the minimum 2.0 CGPA (second class lower division) at the time of nomination.
According to the memorandum, the cost of each electoral form for the Union position includes #8000 for the position of the Students’ Union President, #6000 for Vice-President, #5000 for other Executives, and #2500 for the Students’ Representative Council.
Some of these electoral policies have raised concerns as they are not in tandem with the Students’ Union Constitution
Subject to the provision of Article XII(i) of the Students’ Union Constitution, the Electoral Commission is mandated to set electoral rules and regulations in accordance with the Union Constitution
“(i) It shall draw up electoral regulations and guidelines subject to the provisions of this Constitution and other relevant rules and regulations of the University. Such rules and regulations shall be published at least 14 days before the date of election,” the Constitution states.
Despite the provisions of the Union Constitution stating that ordinary members of the Students’ Union, otherwise known as the matriculated students of the University, shall have the right to vote and be voted for, the recent restriction rules have raised concerns about its violation (the Union Constitution) the high-handedness of the management in handing the students’ electoral process and the disenfranchisement of student aspirants who are below their penultimate year.
Equally concerning is the fact that the Electoral Commissioners were constituted with the electoral ban lifted without the ratification of the Students’ Representative Council, despite being the decision-making organ of the Union.
