By Peter Omopo
The National Association of Nigerian Students will elect a new president on May 24 during its 2026 national convention scheduled to take place in Abuja.
The Chairman of the 2026 Independent Convention Planning Committee, Omotayo Samuel, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists in Abuja.
Samuel said the committee was inaugurated by the NANS President, Olusola Oladoja, on March 8, 2026, in accordance with the provisions of the association’s constitution to coordinate activities leading to the convention.
He explained that several sub-committees had been established to ensure effective coordination and smooth organisation of the convention.
According to him, the committees include Screening and Verification, Screening Appeal, Venue and Protocol, Welfare and Entertainment, Accommodation, Security, Stakeholders Engagement, Medical and Emergency, Media and Publicity, Fund Raising and Finance, Election Management, Transport and Logistics, Contact and Mobilisation, and Accreditation.
Samuel noted that each sub-committee has at least 10 members drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country to ensure inclusiveness and balanced participation.
He added that disciplinary measures had been put in place to address any member found wanting in the discharge of their duties.
The committee chairman also released the timetable for the convention process, stating that pre-convention activities began on March 8 and would continue until March 30.
He said nomination and accreditation forms would be available for collection between April 1 and April 7, while submission of completed forms would take place from April 8 to April 10.
According to him, physical screening of aspirants will be conducted from April 12 to April 19, while verification of studentship by the Screening and Verification Committee will take place from April 20 to April 27.
Samuel added that the results of the screening will be released on April 29, while the appeal window will run from May 1 to May 7, with final appeal results expected on May 9.
He further disclosed that the main convention activities will take place from May 22 to May 25 at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja.
Delegates are expected to begin arriving on May 20, while a peace accord with the Department of State Services will be held on May 21.
He said the presidential debate will take place the same day, while accreditation of delegates will be conducted on May 23 ahead of the election scheduled for May 24.
Samuel also clarified that aspirants’ intent forms are free and should not attract any payment.
He called on all stakeholders and aspirants to cooperate with the committee to ensure a successful and transparent convention.
The National Association of Nigerian Students was founded in 1956 as the National Union of Nigerian Students before it was rebranded as NANS in 1978 after the former body was banned following the “Ali Must Go” protests.
