The University of Lagos, UNILAG, has taken a step toward restoring its Students’ Union with the election of a new President and General Secretary.
The election was held on Friday, March 6, 2026, as part of the university’s transition process to fully bring back the Students’ Union after years of inactivity.
The exercise was organised by the Directorate of Student Affairs and supervised by the Dean of Student Affairs, Johnson Agunsoye. Voting took place at the Common Room of Moremi Hall on the university campus.
According to the guidelines for the transition, the candidates were selected from the current Faculty Presidents in the university. This arrangement was designed to ensure a gradual and orderly restoration of the union.
At the end of the election, Bolaji Akinpelu from the Faculty of Arts emerged as the Students’ Union President after securing nine votes. Daniel Solomon of the Faculty of Computing and Informatics also received nine votes to become the new General Secretary.
Speaking after the election, Professor Agunsoye said the exercise fulfilled a promise made by the Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, to restore the Students’ Union.
He said, “The restoration of the Union is intended not only to provide a platform for the student population to express their views, but also to prepare students for leadership responsibilities and encourage them to become solution-driven leaders.”
Why UNILAG Students’ Union Was Dissolved
The Students’ Union of the University of Lagos has experienced several suspensions over the years, largely due to conflicts between students and the university management.
The first major proscription happened in 2005 during the tenure of the then Vice-Chancellor, Oye Ibidapo-Obe. The union was banned after a violent protest by students against certain university policies. During the unrest, some university properties, including official residences of top administrators, were reportedly attacked and damaged. Following the incident, the university management suspended student union activities indefinitely.
For about ten years, the institution operated without an official Students’ Union. Instead, the university introduced alternative structures such as a council of faculty presidents to represent student interests. However, many students did not fully recognise this arrangement as a replacement for an elected union.
In 2015, the university authorities eventually lifted the ban and restored student unionism after approving a new union constitution. The then Vice-Chancellor, Rahamon Bello, announced that the decision was taken after the management believed student leadership could be conducted more responsibly.
However, tensions between students and the university resurfaced the following year. In 2016, the management dissolved the executive and legislative arms of the Students’ Union again after protests by students over welfare issues and the rising cost of goods and services on campus. The decision was criticised by some civil society and student groups, who argued that it violated students’ right to freedom of association.
This election of new union leaders therefore represents another step in the university’s effort to rebuild student representation and gradually return full union activities on campus.