The 57th Annual Delegates Congress of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) ended in turmoil last weekend at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), as the election for new leadership was marred by violence and controversy.
The event descended into chaos when a sudden power outage disrupted the vote-counting process, raising suspicions of foul play.
Despite the lights remaining on in the vicinity, delegates expressed their anger over what they perceived as an attempt to rig the election in favour one presidential candidate. This atmosphere of agitation led to heated protests among the delegates.
In a bid to resolve the situation, candidates were given the opportunity to decide the course of action. A narrow majority of 13 delegates voted in favour of canceling the congress and holding an emergency session, while 12 preferred to count the votes already cast.
Ultimately, NUGS President Kyeremeh Oppong Daniel announced the official cancellation of the congress and the decision to reconvene at a later date.
In his address to the delegates, President Daniel emphasized his commitment to ensuring fairness in the electoral process.
“I am ready to stand and ensure justice prevails in this election. I will continue to fight for the right thing to be done. The ballot papers are here; we can either count them or move forward with an emergency congress.”
He also reminded delegates that according to NUGS regulations, only the president has the authority to call off a congress and set a new date.
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Story By: Ibrahim Nii Adjetey Quao | univers.ug.edu.gh
