The National House of Senate of the Federation of Ekiti State Students’ Union (FESSU) issues this official statement to clarify the present leadership situation in the Union and to address recent unconstitutional actions attempting to undermine the structures and authority of the Union.
On March 1, 2025, the Senate, acting within its constitutional powers and responsibilities, suspended the National President, Mr. Benjamin Adekunle Onileowo, on grounds of gross misconduct, financial misappropriation, and negligence of duty. This decision remains valid, legal, and binding, and until Mr. Onileowo submits himself to the appropriate disciplinary processes of the Union, he will not be recognised as President under any legitimate platform or authority of FESSU.
In what can only be described as a deliberate affront to the Constitution and institutional order, a sham Congress was convened on March 19, 2025, with the aim of reinstating the suspended President. This Congress was illegal, unconstitutional, and lacked proper representation, as:
Ratified Senators were forcefully removed from the venue and denied access, nullifying any claim of lawful legislative participation;
Over 30 ratified FESSU chapters have refused to recognise the Congress or its outcomes, while the remaining chapters have remained silent, not supportive;
The communiqué issued by the Congress fails to address the true grounds of the President’s suspension, instead hinging its reversal on vague claims of “fair hearing,” which have no legal or rational correlation with the misconduct charges levied.
Even more disturbingly, this sham Congress attempted to unconstitutionally dissolve the House of Senate, citing internal disputes that had already been publicly resolved. The Senate reaffirms that only one Senate President is duly recognised, and a vote of confidence had been passed and published in his favour prior to the Congress. The FESSU Constitution clearly states in its preamble that no arm of the Union, including Congress, is above the Constitution, and that the authority of Congress is only valid through the supremacy of the Constitution. Congress does not have the power to dissolve the legislative arm.
The House also raises an urgent alarm over a forged document released by the suspended President bearing the official FESSU letterhead, which constitutes a clear case of forgery and impersonation. The Secretariat has formally drawn the attention of the Senate to this fraudulent release and calls on all stakeholders to treat such communications as null and void.
Furthermore, the Senate completely dissociates itself from the so-called Electoral Committee fraudulently constituted at the sham Congress. This body has no constitutional legitimacy, and its actions will not be recognised by the Union or any of its legal organs. We hereby alert all Ekiti students across Nigeria to desist from engaging in any form of financial transactions or dealings with individuals claiming to be members of this illegitimate committee, as such interactions are at risk of constituting fraud. Any financial involvement with these imposters is at the risk of the payee.
While we commend the intervention of the Executive Governor of Ekiti State and the Ekiti Government for his impartial commitment to peace and order.
The House of Senate also takes responsibility for not acting sooner to curtail the excesses of the suspended President, but reaffirms its unwavering commitment to upholding the Constitution, the rule of law, and the unity of the Union.
We, therefore, call on the general public, all FESSU stakeholders, and particularly all FESSU chapters, to reject the resolutions and bodies constituted by the sham Congress, and to stand with the Senate in defence of constitutional order, democratic integrity, and the collective future of Ekiti students across the federation.
Signed:
Oladipupo Oluwasegun
Senate President
Federation of Ekiti State Students Union
Oluwapelumi Olaofe
The Senate Clerk
Federation of Ekiti State Students Union
