National Association of Nigerian Students has warned that it will stop political parties from holding conventions to select any presidential candidate in Abuja.
NANS President, Sunday Asefon, gave this warning in a statement issued on Sunday.
Both the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party and the ruling All Progressives Congress have scheduled their presidential convention for this month in the Federal Capital Territory.
But NANS, in its statement, warned the political parties to either end the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities since February 14, 2022, or shift their presidential primary from holding in Abuja.
NANS also kicked against the picking up of the N100million APC presidential nomination forms by both the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba and Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige inspite of the perennial crisis rocking the nation’s education sector.
The NANS statement titled, “End ASUU Strike Or Forget Political Activities In Abuja’’, read, “We have also in the past weeks seen those saddled with great responsibility in the education sector and those saddled with responsibilities of resolving labour crises declaring interest to contest for the seat of the President come 2023.
“We are surprised by their effrontery and total disrespect to the Nigerian people for having the courage to even mute the idea of contesting talkless of picking up the 100million naira presidential form while students languish at home because of their collective failures.
“Politicians have shown no concern to the plight of the students but are only busy in their selfish and inordinate ambitions to become the next President.
“Let me say without mincing words, the two major political parties should forget any political gathering in Abuja who elsewhere except there is a solution to the lingering ASUU strike.
“We will frustrate all the activities leading to the selection of party candidates if we remain on strike. We also want to advise the government and the politicians who are busy campaigning to be President to either resolve the ASUU crises or give direct orders to the security operative to shoot us at the site during party conventions to select a presidential candidate. If we remain on strike, they should just forget it.”
Following the expiration of its four-week warning strike on March 14, ASUU had extended the industrial action by two months.
ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke said the union decided to extend the strike in order to give the Federal Government and its agencies enough time to meet the demands of the lecturers.
In 2020, ASUU had embarked on a nine-month strike which ended in December of that year.