Dear Eksuites,
Our student union has been through thick and thin in the past few years, at a point, we were recently subjected to the leadership of an inexperienced Student Union President who unfortunately could not record an achievement in the name of his administration. Mr Ibitoye Babatope failed us; we were forced to endure a year of unidirectional leadership. Thanks to Mr Kadri Olawale and others who gave all they can to ensure the administration didn't collapse.
Student Union elections are here again, this is the decision making era. An era where our votes would not just stand to elect Student Union Leaders who would lead us for another year. It is a time to tell the world what part of history we want our union to stand; the good or bad.
Over the last few weeks, we have all been drowning in a quicksand of aggressive campaigns, phone calls and text messages. The Temitope Awelewa-led EKSUSU PRESS also deemed it necessary to organise a manifesto/debate. All this were done to enlighten us on the capability of these candidates. With just hours to go, it's becoming extremely harder to decode every lie,
half-truth and five-point plan to really get a clear understanding of who's in your corner.
I won't pretend as if I have no idea what candidate I'm selecting today but what I will say is that my decision was not easy. Which is why I think it's important to remember that this election, as selfishly as we would like to think, is not JUST about you or candiates from your faculty but rather about the generality of students of Ekiti state university who, like you, want to take advantage of the very principles that this University was found on. They are your neighbours, classmates, friends, and hundreds of past comrades who at one point or another had to make a sacrifice to hold this union together. So even though your vote is a very personal decision, it's a decision which could the future of our citadel of learning.
Now my aim isn't to tell you who to vote for but rather to tell you how I went about selecting a candidate that wouldn't just represent my interest but also the interest of the Union I care deeply about.
So, here is a guide for how to make the big decision.
What issues are important to you: Until you can say what issues are important to you, there is no real way to decide which candidate best represents those issues. Also history matters, meaning just because a particular candidate endorses a cause or issue today, doesn't really mean they're always telling the truth. So check their history -- what idea have they previously opposed and or supported?
Do your own research: look for a means of getting information, but not as your only source. So I urge you to do your own homework -- if there's a claim about a candidate speech enquire about it and make up your own mind. Many people are in the business just to make the candidate less popular, sometimes at the risk of not telling the WHOLE story. #FactsMatter
Think long-term: Yes, the tenure is just one academic session, but the decision(s) they would make can decide a future of 30 years.
Have clear expectations: I hate saying this but many people have no idea how the Union works and therefore could develop overly-high expectations for what the candidates can and cannot do. Which is why it's important to have clear expectations going into the voting booth, so you're not disappointed 30 days later if all your hopes aren't fulfilled.
Hopefully, this was helpful in making your more of an informed voter, when selecting a candidate because voting isn't just your right but also your duty.
Kind regards,
Ayodeji A Aladejana
08167011007
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