The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has settled the lingering issues between its two factional groups in the interest of peace and unity of Nigerian students.
The defunt NANS Senate President, Ekundayo Elvis, at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, announced the stepping down of the defunt group to work with the Lucky Emonefe faction.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference is ‘The End of Divided NANS, the Unified Era’.
Elvis said that the reason for stepping down was for a purposeful leadership demonstrated by President Bola Tinubu who kept to his campaign promises to the youth and students.
He added that the promises culminated into signing the students loan law for indigent students and NANS would not want any students to be deprived as a result of rift in the association.
Elvis said that henceforth, NANS would be under one umbrella body of students both at home and in the diaspora.
“Let me also state that it is on record that we are not pressured by anybody or any individual in making this decision but rather, the interest of our constituents,” he said.
On his part, the NANS President, Lucky Emonefe said that the stepping down of the defunt faction marked a new beginning of good things to happen in the association.
Emonefe called for the support of all members of the association to help the national leadership perform with national goal and interest of peace and progress of the people in focus.
“From now henceforth, NANS is one, we will speak in one voice and we will carry the Nigerian students along.
“The defunt president is not cajoled to do this but because students need to benefit, we must come together.
“This is an internal issue, we disagree to agree. Now Nigerian students is one leadership and we will be united to continuously advocate specially for the interest and yearnings of Nigerian students,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NANS Senate President, Babatunde Akinteye, pledged that going forward, the association would work towards ensuring lasting peace in its processes.
Akinteye also pledged that the association would come together to avoid any situation of factional groups that would emanate during its convention and elections.
It would be recalled that on Dec. 1, 2023, NANS converged on Abuja for a national convention and this convention produced a parallel government where two factions emerged. (NAN)