By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.

A major crisis has unfolded within the Ogun State leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), following accusations against the Special Assistant to the Governor on Students’ Matters, Comrade Adeyemi Azeez Amoo. The state chapter of NANS, backed by several Students’ Union Presidents, has accused the governor’s aide of impersonation, misconduct, and diverting resources meant for students.

The allegations were presented during a press conference held in Abeokuta and addressed by the Ogun NANS Chairman, Comrade Gabriel Abiola Francis. According to Francis, Azeez had repeatedly misrepresented the association by issuing unauthorised letters, making unsolicited representations, and misleading stakeholders under the guise of his official position.

Francis stated that Azeez’s alleged impersonation had created confusion, distrust, and divisions within the student community, prompting the leadership to officially distance the association from him. He also accused the governor’s aide of undermining the relationship between NANS and key government officials, including those representing student interests.

The students further alleged that Azeez paraded former NANS executives as serving officials for personal gain while diverting privileges and allocations intended for the association. They also condemned him for allegedly intimidating heads of tertiary institutions, using the Governor’s name to enforce directives, and misleading student leaders into attacking senior government officials and traditional rulers over fabricated grievances.

In a detailed statement, Francis said the association wished to make it clear that Azeez had no authority to act on behalf of NANS Ogun JCC, accusing him of consistently issuing directives and letters without approval.

Reacting to the accusations, Azeez dismissed them as trivial, baseless, and politically motivated. He described the development as nothing more than an internal misunderstanding among student leaders, insisting that the eight Students’ Union Presidents listed as signatories to the statement did not authorize it.

Azeez claimed that some of the presidents contacted him to express their displeasure over the release, suggesting that external forces were attempting to manipulate the students for political purposes. He maintained that he would not succumb to pressure or act against Governor Dapo Abiodun, whom he referred to as his leader and the party leader in the state.

According to him, “What happened is an internal disagreement. Two individuals decided to take their frustration to the media. The eight presidents listed as signatories did not authorize the statement, and several of them have reached out to me to express their disapproval. External forces are trying to use them for a political agenda. In due time, the truth will come out.”