LASULAWS: Rigged, Rerun, Repeat

LASU Life will continue to provide detailed reports on the faculty elections across the university, from FCMS to Education, Science, and others.

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Welcome to the Faculty of Law, where the very people who should be leading the charge for political participation, civic rights, and electoral transparency serve cold portions of indifference.

On election day, the mood within the faculty could best be described as: "they forced us to vote." Ironic, almost theatrical, how the loudest voices preaching the gospel of voting rights became the quietest when it was time to practice what they claim to stand for.

In a bizarre twist, some students didn’t even get the chance to vote, not because they didn’t want to, but because their lecturers locked them in class, even though the week had been set aside for electoral activities.

Back to the Beginning: The SRC

Let’s rewind to where it all started: the Students’ Representative Council (SRC). This body, tasked with several responsibilities, including a crucial one — setting up the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC) —didn’t seem to understand the importance of acting on time.

While other faculties and LASUSU had their IECs set up in June or early July, LASULAWS’ SRC delayed theirs until just a week before the election. What happens when the foundation is destroyed?

Election Day Drama

The Faculty of Law elections began smoothly, but, as Gen Z would say, “the vibe was off.” Only two positions — Assistant General Secretary and Public Relations Officer (PRO) — were contested. All other offices, including that of the president, went unopposed.

While aspirants hoped students would turn out and vote, many were stuck in classrooms due to lectures that couldn’t be missed. Others had to attend an Advocacy Meeting scheduled at the same time.

Realizing this, the IEC extended the voting period to accommodate more voters, acknowledging that it wasn’t the students’ fault that academic activities clashed with the election.

Once voting concluded, results were announced , but controversy erupted. 100-level students alleged that the PRO election had been rigged. Upon review, the IEC discovered that 19 unaccredited votes had been included, a clear case of ballot irregularity. The election was nullified, and a fresh vote was scheduled for the following day.

The rerun took place, and the same candidate emerged as the winner again, but this only deepened suspicions among some students about the credibility of the entire process.

The IEC Responds

In light of the controversy surrounding the elections, LASU Life reached out to the IEC Chairperson, Ibilola Ogunbiyi, to get the committee's perspective.

According to Ibilola, the IEC fulfilled all its duties within the available timeframe. She stated that the election schedule and voting requirements were released on time, and a meeting was held with aspirants to brief them on expectations before, during, and after the elections. Voter sensitization and publicity were also carried out.

She acknowledged the challenges and noted that the committee took full responsibility for the disruptions. In a press release, the IEC announced that the PRO election would be rerun and that all proper measures had been put in place to ensure a fair and transparent process.

"The IEC holds a responsibility of fairness and accountability to the people," she said. "We cannot and will not validate a flawed process."

The re-run that was eventually conducted proved to be more accurate and fair, with the number of accredited voters now tallying with the total number of votes.

Ibilola emphasized that future SRCs should prioritize appointing IEC members early enough to allow for adequate preparation. With more time, aspirants could campaign properly, and the IEC would be better positioned to execute its duties efficiently.

LASU Life will continue to provide detailed reports on the faculty elections across the university, from FCMS to Education, Science, and others. Stay tuned to the LASU Life newsletter over the coming days.

📝: Ayo Oladiran, Deputy Editor & Ameerah Oluwo, Editor, LASULife Newsletter ✈️

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