100L Students Are Eligible To Vote – UADS Senate Decides

By David Adetula

On Saturday, 30th April 2022, the legislative arm of the Unibadan Association of Dental Students (UADS) decided that 100 level dental students are constitutionally privileged to vote in the association’s elections. The matter was thoroughly debated during the Saturday’s Senate meeting before the conclusion was put to a vote that confirmed the constitutional rights of the fresh students.

Over the years, fresh students were not allowed to neither vote nor contest in UADS elections. This tradition has been substantiated by the excuse that fresh students know only little about the association during their first year.

One of the senators, David Adetula from the 2K19 Constituency raised the matter and asked that the Electoral Commission not also come up with same rule that has disenfranchised the fresh students over the years. He argued that looking closely at the constitution, the right of the 100 level students as electorates is well protected and guaranteed in the UADS constitution.

Supporting the argument, Senator Ojo Precious from the 2K17 Constituency took the Senate down memory lane. He said he remembers clearly the time he was in 100 level when he was asked to pay his dues, which he did without resistance but only to be told later he could not vote in the election at that time. The senator mentioned that he felt really sad and he believes the current 100 level students should not suffer the same fate because no one is seemingly not representing their interest.

Senator Okunlola Praise from the 2K19 Constituency threw his weight behind the motion to allow 100 level students to vote by citing provisions of the constitution that guarantee this right. He went further to say that senators from the 2K19 Constituency recently had an interactive session with the 100 level class where the senators got convinced that members of the class yearn for greater integration into the association and having them vote would be one opportunity too great to miss.

The Electoral Commission however pointed the attention of the Senate to the fact that allowing 100 level students to vote would violate a provision of the constitution that grants voting privilege to only financial members of the association. The 100 level students have barely spent a month in school before the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) started and as such, they have not been able to pay the annual association dues.

In response to this, the Executive President of the association, Olalekan Efunkunle argued that if that particular provision would apply during this election, it would mean that only a small number of the association members will be able to vote as there are many members of other classes that are yet to pay their annual dues. The Senate however went ahead to grant the association members a waiver to vote on that ground. In essence, being a financial member will not be a condition to vote in the forth-coming UADS election.

However, the Senate decided that the 100 level students will not be able to contest election in the current electoral process.