The All Africa Students Union has described a Nigerian Student leader, Osisiogu Osikenyi as an imposter who has been masquerading around as the duly elected President of the continental student body contrary to the authentic outcome of the just concluded 13th Quadrennial Congress where election was held and Varney Alieu Jarsey of Liberia was elected as President to lead the institution for the next four years.
Speaking to The Analyst in an exclusive interview last night from Accra, Ghana, Elorm Mawuli Kwawu, Head of Research and Communications of the organization, said that the stories being put out there by Osisiogu Osikenyi should not be taken seriously as they are intended to create an impression outside what has become official that Varney Alieu Jarsey is the authentic leader of AASU for the next 4 years as the result of the election that brought him and others to power.
“I can confirm to you that Varney Alieu Jarsey is the legitimate leader of AASU and no one else. Osisiogu Osikenyi, the student leader from Nigeria was a candidate in the race but withdrew from the process before the actual election could take place for reasons best known to himself. So after he left, he has been presenting himself out there as the person who was elected during our congress which of course is false. We called on the general public to be alert and should not transact any business with him”, Mr. Kwawu said.
He said the election guidelines are very clear on who is qualified to contest and who is eligible to be at the congress as a delegate. He said Osisiogu as opposed to the guidelines, was insisting on bringing in two delegates from Nigeria when it is only a delegate each is permitted to attend from a country.
He said besides the Presidency where Varney and Osisiogu were initially billed to contest before the Nigerian withdrew, all the other positions went the way of white ballots. He was however, quick to deny that the congress was stage managed by those who were bent on having their way.
He said he was disappointed in the attitude of Osisiogu to have left the congress without ending it and going out to issue press statements, holding interviews and making utterances that are meant to destroy the image of the organization. “One of the unthinkable things he was demanding was for the Headquarters of AASU to be relocated to Abuja , Nigeria which is just impossible right now and even if it was to be done, it cannot be on his demand but the collective decision of the entire membership of AASU”, he said.
It can be recalled that after walking out of the congress, Osisiogu paid a courtesy call on the officials of Nigerian embassy in Accra, Ghana and told them that he was elected unopposed after his rival Varney Alieu Jarsey, was disqualified from contesting the race. He was said to have petitioned against the Varney’s candidature alleging that the Liberian student leader had been imprisoned in 2016 for rape and his studentship was halted.
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