The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said Atiku Isah was never ithe president of the association because he never contested in the election for the position.

This was after Atiku stated that he was offered N100 million to support the ambition of President Bola Tinubu whom he doesn’t believe in.

He said he rejected the offer, leading to his abduction, which he blamed on Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, and the current NANS President, Olusola Ladoja.

However, in a chat with our correspondent, NANS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Samson Ajasa, alleged that Atiku’s recent allegation against the association and Seyi Tinubu is an attempt by the coalition of opposition politicians to hijack students for their bidding.

He urged the public to seek more information on NANS’ activities from the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ajasa said, “Atiku Isah was never and is not the president of NANS. Let me say this. We can’t allow the Nigerian coalition movement to use NANS as a litmus test. Isah never participated in the NANS election. Any person that needs more information should go to the DSS and confirm. Was he screened? Did he sign peace accord? Who screened him? Even as a PRO, I had to get police report and high court stamp for my form.”

Ajasa recalled that when Ladoja lost the 2020 election to former NANS president, Sunday Ashefon, he never called for a faction.

“If anyone wants to declare faction now, it will be people that contested against Ladoja, but they never did. Ladoja won the election massively and that is why there were no gunshots in Abuja, unlike before,” he said.

The PRO alleged that Atiku is being bankrolled by some forces for political gains.

“I have a picture here of Atiku and Sowore. I have a picture here of Atiku and Alhaji Atiku himself. They cannot bring up NANS and fund it through Atiku Isah to cause destabilisation. They know that once they hit NANS directly, we know how to handle ourselves. Bringing Seyi Tinubu into it is the highest of it all,” he said.

Buttressing his claim that Ladoja is the authentic president of NANS, the PRO said past presidents of the association graced his inauguration.

He also stated that presidents of student unions in campuses across Nigeria all know Ladoja as NANS president.

He further stated, “Where is his (Atiku) structure? You called me today as his PRO. Who is his PRO? Who are his executives? When last have you seen him on a civil campus? What action has he taken so far on any issue relating to NANS? I can give you names of those that participated in the election and lost to Ladoja, including those that stepped down. None of them formed any faction.”

He lamented that everything going on now is pure politics, just as he questioned Atiku’s long silence after the election.

“If truly he’s the president, why was there vacuum after the election and why is he just coming out now? It is pure politics and we understand. They cannot use NANS as a platform,” he said.