A war of words has erupted between the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, and the President of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union (UISU), Comrade Adeboye Temidayo, over the legacy of the institution’s outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale.

The exchange comes as the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan appointed Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba as the institution’s 14th Vice-Chancellor, bringing Adebowale’s tenure to an end.

In a statement dated July 23, Akinteye launched a scathing attack on Adebowale, accusing him of running an administration characterised by anti-student policies, intimidation and oppression of student leaders.

The NANS president alleged that the outgoing vice-chancellor’s tenure subjected students to hardship and stifled union activities.

“Your infamous tenure was characterized by anti-student policies, many of which subjected students to hardship, strained them beyond their limits, and made learning frustrating for them,” Akinteye said.

He further accused the outgoing VC of victimising students who protested against university policies.

‘‘Worst of all, the most terrifying part of your rule is that whenever students rose to fight for their rights, you went out of your way to intimidate, suspend, and ultimately expel them. You did the unimaginable, punishing student leaders who sought better welfare for students,” he stated.

Akinteye also alleged that Adebowale’s administration was tainted by corruption controversies and called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate his tenure.

He warned that Nigerian students would oppose any future public appointment involving the outgoing vice-chancellor.

However, the University of Ibadan Students’ Union distanced itself from the allegations, insisting that the NANS statement neither reflected its position nor the experience of its leadership.

In a separate statement, UI SU President, Adeboye Temidayo, said he was neither consulted nor authorised anyone to speak on behalf of the union before the publication was issued.

“The publication was made without any consultation with me or the leadership of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union. At no point was I contacted to verify the allegations contained therein, neither did I authorize anyone to speak on behalf of our Union,’’ he said.

Adeboye maintained that while the Students’ Union had disagreements with the university management during his tenure, those disputes were resolved through dialogue without reprisals against student leaders.

“During my tenure as President, the Students’ Union has not shied away from confronting issues affecting students. We have openly disagreed with the University Management when necessary, organized lawful protests—including a full-scale protest—and engaged in difficult negotiations in defence of students’ interests,’’he said.

He added that, “those engagements were never without challenges, but they were met with dialogue, and meaningful resolutions were reached without the victimization of student leaders.”

Describing the allegations against Adebowale as inconsistent with his personal experience, Adeboye said, “I consider the allegations and characterization of Professor Kayode O. Adebowale contained in the publication to be unfounded. They do not reflect my experience of his administration.”

He stressed that the University of Ibadan Students’ Union remained the legitimate voice of students on matters affecting the institution.

“The University of Ibadan Students’ Union has a proud history of intellectual, courageous, and responsible unionism. We have never outsourced our mandate to speak for our students, and we never will,” he stated.

The exchange unfolded as the Governing Council announced the appointment of Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba as the University of Ibadan’s 14th Vice-Chancellor following a competitive selection process involving eight candidates. The appointment was approved on Wednesday after the recommendation of the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board.

Meanwhile, the outgoing VC has not issued any statement on the allegations levelled against him by the NANS President.