Adedokun Adefolahan Haleem Emerges As Mr. Fresher Of UI

Adedokun Adefolahan Haleem, a 100-level student of the Unibadan Association of Dental Students, has been crowned Mr Popular, a prestigious title also known as Mr Fresher of UI. The final stage of the annual popularity contest, organized by the Student Union of the University of Ibadan, took place yesterday as part of the closing the events of UISU Week.

Mr Fresher of UI recognizes a student who demonstrates outstanding personality traits, including sociability, friendliness, confidence, authenticity, and charisma, among others.

The contest started with an audition open open to all new students of the university, where he officially became a contestant. The next phase was the rehearsal, which was divided into two stages: dance and runway. He progressed after earning qualifying scores from the judges based on quality, punctuality, communication with fellow contestants, and other criteria.

The competition reached a critical point when at the boot camp, where contestants rehearsed overnight in an apartment. Adedokun scored 30 out of 40, the highest at that stage, after taking factoring in boot camp performance, Instagram engagement, and previous rehearsals. The remaining 60 marks were reserved for the judges on the final day.

The finale took place at the UI Trenchard Hall in the presence of a large audience of UItes. There were three stages: talent display, cultural performance, and the runway.

The stage was set, anticipation filled the hall, and tension ran high until the spotlight fell on Contestant No 2, Mr. FOLAH, who was called up and crowned Mr Fresher for the 2025/2026 session.

When asked about how he felt, Adedokun Adefolahan said "Well, it’s hard putting all these emotions and feelings into words. I'll say I feel very happy, fulfilled and very proud of myself. And a big thank you to every single person that rooted for me throughout the course of the competition. I’m excited for the future."

Amole Mustapha