I battled rejection to win FUOYE SUG election — First female president

The first female President of the Student Union Government at Federal University Oye Ekiti, Abiodun Olorunshola Mary speaks with AJIBADE OMAPE about her leadership aspirations and political career goals

Can you tell us about your background?

I’m Abiodun Olorunshola. I’m from Kogi State, specifically from Ijumu Local Government Area. However, I was born in Abuja and stayed there for a little while before we moved to Kwara State, where I live now. I’m a Christian, I have three siblings, and I’m the second of four. My mum is Abiodun Kehinde, and she’s a correctional officer. My dad is Abiodun Bankole, a lawyer working as a legislative aide in the National Assembly.

I started my primary education in Kwara State at Rhema Chapel Basic Nursery and Primary School. My secondary education was also in Kwara State at Federal Government College, Ilorin. I finished in 2019, and I gained admission into the Federal University, Oye Ekiti in the same year.

When did you begin your involvement in student union politics?

I started getting involved in student politics in my 100 Level. I participated in many social events, one of which was the Mr and Mrs Fresher. I was not a winner, but I was a runner-up. When I got to the 200 Level, I became the Assistant General Secretary of my faculty. Also, in my 200 Level, I became the Acting President of my faculty. In my 300 Level, I became the Vice President of my faculty.

In 400 Level, I became the Special Advisor to the Student Union Government Vice President on Academic Affairs. During the same year, I also became the Vice President of the FUOYE Chapter of the National Female Student Association of Nigeria. I have served in various capacities.

Currently, I am the SUG President-Elect for the Federal University Oye Ekiti. I am the first female SUG President in the school’s history, in Ekiti State, and the South-West.

 How does it feel to have achieved this historic milestone?

It’s emotional for me, but it’s exciting, and I’m grateful for this. Initially, I thought this contest was just for my university, to help bring it into the limelight. However, I have realised it is more than that, as I’ve received various calls from different people concerning what I have just achieved. That made me realise this is more significant than I initially thought, and I am grateful for it. I’m happy to be the first female SUG President, and I am thankful that my efforts during the campaign did not go to waste.

What factors motivated you to get involved in student union politics?

Ever since I was young, I loved leadership, particularly political leadership. So, I decided that I was going to be a leader in politics. As soon as I got to university, I decided to start my career immediately. What prompted me was the desire to see females lead. I’m not a feminist, but I am concerned about the perception of females as weaker vessels. However, my position is that if you are a female with an ambition for any leadership role, just go for it, as long as you believe in yourself and are prepared for it. My motivation came from the fact that I have read a lot, seen a lot, and learned a lot about leadership. I realised I could be a leader, so I decided to go for it and started building myself. That was where everything began, and now I’m the SUG President.

What inspired your decision to run for the post of SUG President?

The main factor that played a role was my understanding that it was time for me to take up this role and perform. When I was in my 200 level, I served as the Acting President of my faculty. This was because, during the SUG election, the Faculty President, Vice President, and General Secretary had to resign to pursue higher positions. Their resignations automatically made me the Acting President. This experience provided me with insight into the responsibilities of a President and the importance of serving.

Even though this experience could have prompted me to run for Faculty President in my 300 level, I chose to wait for my time. At that level, there were opportunities for me to contest and possibly win the Faculty President election. However, I decided to run for Vice President instead, feeling that I needed more time to build myself and fully understand the requirements of the presidency.

At FUOYE, there are two campuses: Ikole, which is smaller, and Oye, the main campus. The SUG positions are zoned between these campuses, so when the Presidency was allocated to Ikole, I knew it was my time. Despite Ikole being the smaller campus, which posed a significant challenge, I was prepared. The smaller campus meant less competition. However, that did not guarantee a win. I had to campaign extensively, meeting students from all faculties on the main campus, doing publications, and convincing people to vote for the first female SUG President.

The campaign involved a lot of work, and it was not easy to persuade people. However, I embraced these challenges and saw them as opportunities and strengths. Despite the burdens, I was ready for it, and those are the factors that kept me going.

What were the challenges you faced during your campaign, and what strategies did you employ to overcome them?

I faced rejection due to two main reasons. Firstly, my gender played a significant role. When approaching students for campaign purposes, many showed disinterest simply because I am female. Secondly, there were political biases among some students who rejected me outright when I asked for their support. They dismissed me without listening or considering my candidacy, urging me to move on.

During one campaign instance, I engaged students by asking them to guess the position I sought, only to be met with surprise and disbelief when I revealed my ambition for the presidency. Some students firmly believed that a female couldn’t effectively lead students at FUOYE, which led to outright rejection. Despite these challenges, I remained undeterred and persevered.

Another obstacle I encountered was that my university has two campuses, one small, and one big. Coming from a smaller campus meant I had to go to the larger campus for campaigning, incurring substantial transportation and accommodation costs. It was a big challenge.

How do you intend to address gender equality and advance the empowerment of female students during your tenure?

Firstly, I know I am a source of motivation to many students at FUOYE. That is one thing I am already aware of, and winning the election has provided many students, not just female students, with insights into what leadership entails. This has motivated many of them to aspire to leadership roles. Before now, many students viewed campus politics as something they couldn’t participate in. But now, they believe that if I can do it, then they can as well.

So, by winning the election, I am already motivating many people, which is an important achievement. Another aspect is that I am ready to host mentorship sessions for as many students as are interested. It won’t just be me mentoring them; there will be other people. I will invite others who can lecture them on leadership, not just in politics.

You know that there are many people interested in pursuing leadership in media, business, and entrepreneurship.

So, I plan to initiate a mentorship programme for female students, as well as for interested male students. We will have a mentorship programme because many individuals are interested in leadership, not just in politics but also in business, media, entertainment, and other fields.

These are the initiatives we will implement to nurture future leaders. However, I will not undertake this alone; I will facilitate the mentorship sessions. I will invite speakers who can engage and inspire them. Many people desire leadership roles but are unsure how to begin.

By participating in such sessions, they can pursue their aspirations and achieve their potential. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, I currently serve as the Vice President for the NFSAN FUOYE Chapter. One of my objectives in this position is to empower female students with skills. Many students have innovative business ideas, and during our conferences, we will discuss how they can be realised.

Academic qualifications alone may not suffice to support a family; we must cultivate essential skills. It is crucial to be empowered and possess practical skills. This is our aim, and we have several other plans in place.

What are your priorities and objectives as SUG President for the forthcoming academic year?

There are several things I would like to address, one of which is the transportation issue at the university. The transportation system is not up to a good standard, and students are heavily exploited by transport providers. This situation arises from the environment and community in which we find ourselves. The transportation system remains poorly organised, while the university’s population has grown significantly with the influx of many students. This often allows the limited number of transport providers to exploit the situation, knowing that students will pay any amount due to a lack of alternatives. However, they need to realise that not all students can afford high transportation costs. The situation is increasingly concerning, especially since the fuel price increase has exacerbated fare hikes.

Apart from transportation, I would like to address the internet issue. It is affecting the students. The internet connection is not very strong at all. We constantly face network issues even when making calls. Therefore, I would like to draw the attention of internet and telecommunication providers to this issue so that they can come and address it.

We have both students and members of the community from neighbouring towns affected by this problem. They are missing out because individuals who should be using 5GB for their daily business operations might only be able to use 2GB due to these connectivity issues. This is a matter I aim to address.

How do you plan to foster unity and collaboration among the students?

One of the things I plan to do to foster unity is to promote sports. Sports are one of the means of uniting students together. It is integral to university life. Apart from academics, it is one of the things that most effectively brings students together.

Many people are interested in sports, and sporting activities involve both campuses. I play chess and basketball myself. Before becoming president, tournaments used to bring me to the Oye campus. There were tournaments between both campuses, including chess tournaments and similar events.

Sports not only help to foster unity but also promote academic-based competitions between campuses. Additionally, we will utilise entertainment as part of our efforts to foster unity. These are the initiatives we plan to use to promote unity among students.

What specific projects or initiatives do you have planned to enhance student welfare?

One of the most important things I want to do is to think outside the box this time around by bringing serious issues facing us as students to the attention of both the state and Federal Government. We have various offices and ministries in the state that can assist us in addressing these issues, and we will engage with them to ensure they deliver.

We need infrastructure that can help foster unity. For example, having a bus service readily available would enable students to commute easily between campuses. Therefore, one of my goals is to collaborate with the government to ensure we get what we need. This is achievable.

The student’s health, particularly mental health, shall also be a focus under our welfare programme. During our planned summit, we will address how to improve students’ mental health and reassure them that they are not alone, no matter the challenges they are facing.

Feeling isolated on campus can easily lead to depression. Another priority for ensuring good welfare is to advocate for adequate medical facilities for students, despite not being part of the school management myself.

My role is to contribute and ensure students have a comfortable stay on campus. To achieve this, collaboration with the state government and school management will be crucial, and we are committed to pursuing these partnerships.

Are you considering engaging in politics beyond the university campus?

Yes, of course. As I mentioned earlier, even before I entered the university, I was interested in leadership, especially political leadership. Engaging in politics here at school is a way of starting my political career. When I finish university, I plan to continue in politics.

How do you see the impact of student leadership on shaping the educational experience at the university?

The student leadership is the bridge between the school management and the students. Student leadership plays a major role in connecting students with the school management and in resolving issues that arise.

How will you engage with the university administration to address student concerns and advocate for their needs?

A relationship has been established between the Student Union Government and the school management. My executive plan is to maintain this relationship. With this relationship, we can easily converse with the school management. The school management has their interests, which they believe are in the best interest of the students. However, we students, from our point of view, feel that something else might be better for us. So, there is interest from both the students and the school management. It is essential to manage these interests, reach an agreement, and find a compromise that balances both sides’ interests and benefits the students.

How will you ensure transparency and accountability within the SUG administration?

Transparency comes from clear communication. When information is not communicated effectively, it leads to confusion and mistrust. Therefore, the first strategy is to ensure clear communication and understanding. The lack of communication leads to division. I intend to avoid it.

As a leader, I want to prevent division within the cabinet. I will ensure that my executives are fully informed and understand the vision and goals we are working towards. The second key strategy is fostering understanding, and the third is promoting and ensuring unity among the executives and all students. If we are all on the same page on what we are doing, there will be no problem.

What message do you have for young women who aspire to take on leadership roles in their schools and communities?

The message I have for them is that if they believe they can do something, then they can. All that is left is to find someone to guide them, play the game to win, and never give up.