1st May, 2022
The National Association of Nigerian Students has vowed to frustrate all the activities leading to the selection of presidential candidates by political parties.
According to the student union, it is absurd that politicians who ought to resolve the ASUU strike that has kept students at home for months are now more concerned about becoming president in 2023.
NANS, however, said both APC and PDP should forget any political gathering in Abuja or elsewhere except there is a solution to the lingering ASUU strike.
The union made the declaration via a statement titled, ‘End ASUU Strike Or Forget Political Activities In Abuja.’
NANS said, “We have also in the past weeks seen those saddled with great responsibility in the education sector and those saddled with responsibilities of resolving labour crises declaring interest to contest for the seat of the President come 2023.
“We are surprised by their effrontery and total disrespect to the Nigerian people for having the courage to even mute the idea of contesting talkless of picking up the 100million naira presidential form while students languish at home because of their collective failures.
“Politicians have shown no concern to the plight of the students but are only busy in their selfish and inordinate ambitions to become the next President.
“Let me say without mincing words, the two major political parties should forget any political gathering in Abuja who elsewhere except there is a solution to the lingering ASUU strike.
“We will frustrate all the activities leading to the selection of party candidates if we remain on strike. We also want to advise the government and the politicians who are busy campaigning to be President to either resolve the ASUU crises or give direct orders to the security operative to shoot us at the site during party conventions to select a presidential candidate. If we remain on strike, they should just forget it.”
ASUU, on March 14, at the expiration of its four-week warning strike which it declared on Monday, February 14, had extended the industrial action by two months.
The union led by Professor Emmanuel Osodeke said it made the decision to extend the strike so as to give the Federal Government and its agencies enough time to meet the lingering demands of the union.
The union had embarked on a nine-month strike in 2020 before it was called off in December of that year.