ADC Condemns Reported Use of Force Against AAUA Students, Demands Urgent Dialogue to End Crisis

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, Ondo State chapter, has condemned the reported use of force against students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, during their protest over the prolonged disruption of academic activities at the institution.

The party, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Hon. Remi Ofakunrin, expressed concern over reports of a confrontation between security personnel and the students during the Wednesday, September 2, 2026 protest, urging Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to adopt dialogue rather than confrontation in resolving the crisis.

According to the opposition party, the reported deployment of armed security personnel against protesting students was an inappropriate response to grievances that should have been addressed through engagement and responsible leadership.

The ADC said students should not be treated as enemies of the government, stressing that they remained critical to the future development of Ondo State.

“Students are not enemies of the state. They are the sons and daughters of Ondo State and the future professionals, entrepreneurs, academics and leaders upon whom the future of our state depends,” the party said.

It called on Governor Aiyedatiwa to immediately de-escalate the situation and demonstrate the leadership expected of the state’s chief executive.

The party questioned why the industrial crisis at the university had been allowed to persist, leaving students to bear the consequences of disagreements involving the government and university workers.

“The fundamental issue before the government is straightforward: why has the crisis at AAUA been allowed to persist for so long, with students bearing the consequences of a dispute between government and university workers?” the statement asked.

The ADC noted that the prolonged industrial action had disrupted lectures, examinations and the academic calendar, creating uncertainty for students, particularly those in their final year and others preparing for professional programmes.

“Rather than treating students demanding the restoration of their academic rights as a security problem, government should treat the situation as an education and governance problem requiring an urgent political solution,” the party said.

Calling for immediate engagement among all parties, the ADC maintained that dialogue remained the appropriate response to a peaceful protest.

“THE GOVERNMENT MUST ENGAGE, NOT INTIMIDATE,” the statement declared.

“The appropriate response to a peaceful protest is engagement.”

The party said the Commissioner for Education and other relevant government officials should take the lead in discussions involving students, university management and workers’ unions.

“Where there is disagreement, government has the responsibility to convene the meeting of all stakeholders, listen to their grievances and negotiate a sustainable resolution,” it added.

The ADC also urged the state government to utilise the experience of the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Amos Ajibefun, whom it described as a respected academic and former Vice Chancellor of AAUA.

“The ADC particularly calls on the state government to make full use of the experience of its Education Commissioner, Prof. Igbekele Amos Ajibefun, a respected academic and former Vice Chancellor of AAUA, whose knowledge of the university system places him in a strategic position to help resolve the crisis.

“This is a moment for leadership, not symbolism.”

The opposition party further called on the Aiyedatiwa administration to give greater priority to education and workers’ welfare, insisting that the stability of tertiary institutions should not be allowed to suffer.

“Government revenues and allocations are intended to serve the people. Education, workers’ welfare and the uninterrupted academic development of our young people should therefore receive serious and sustained attention,” the statement said.

While acknowledging competing demands on government resources, the ADC maintained that students and the state’s tertiary institutions should not be relegated to the background.

“We also caution against presenting routine payment of statutory obligations, including pension and gratuity commitments, as though they are substitutes for broader developmental achievements. Pensioners deserve their entitlements, but government must simultaneously demonstrate measurable progress in education, healthcare, infrastructure, employment and economic development,” it stated.

The party urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to use the crisis as an opportunity to promote reconciliation and educational reform.

“POWER IS TEMPORARY; THE CONSEQUENCES OF GOVERNANCE ARE LONG-LASTING,” the ADC said.

“Governor Aiyedatiwa should remember that political power is transient. Every administration eventually gives way to another, but the decisions taken while in office become part of the historical record.”

According to the party, the governor could change the narrative surrounding the AAUA crisis by choosing “reconciliation over confrontation and dialogue over force.”

The ADC consequently called on the state government to review the circumstances surrounding the confrontation with students, ensure that no student was victimised for peaceful protest, and convene an urgent meeting involving the government, university management, staff unions and student representatives.

It also demanded a clear and publicly communicated timetable for resolving the industrial dispute and restoring academic activities.

The party further urged the government to ensure that security agencies operate within the law and respect citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and expression.

The ADC said the restoration of academic activities at AAUA should be treated as an emergency priority.

“OUR CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER,” the statement added.

“Ondo State has a proud history of intellectual development and educational excellence. We cannot allow prolonged disputes, administrative inertia or avoidable confrontation to undermine that heritage.”

The party assured students that it would continue to support young people whose future was being affected by the prolonged crisis.

“The ADC’s message to the students is simple: remain peaceful, remain law-abiding and continue to demand accountability through legitimate democratic channels. And our message to the government is equally clear: listen to the students, resolve the dispute and restore their classrooms.”

The ADC warned that responding to public grievances with force could worsen tensions, insisting that genuine leadership required listening to the people.

“A government that listens to its people demonstrates strength. A government that responds to every grievance with force creates unnecessary tension.”

It added that Governor Aiyedatiwa still had an opportunity to turn the development into “an opportunity for reconciliation and educational reform.”

“Ondo State needs classrooms filled with students, not streets filled with tension and blood.

“The future of our children is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of administrative disagreement and ineffectiveness.

“Enough of the crisis. Enough of the uncertainty. Let dialogue begin. Let academic activities resume. Let our students return to their classrooms.”