The Vice President of the Education Students Association of Nigeria ( ESAN ), Federal University Oye-Ekiti ( FUOYE ), Kenneth Oluwagbemiga, has announced his resignation from office, attributing his decision to alleged marginalization and lack of recognition within the executive council.
In a statement addressed to education students, he said his office had been treated as
"irrelevant, with little to no recognition or inclusion in matters that directly affect the functioning of the executive team," which he noted hindered his ability to perform effectively.
He further stated that despite waiting for improvements, "there has been no meaningful improvement ," and described a pattern of actions suggesting
"a prioritization of personal interests and ambitions over the collective welfare of the student body."
Oluwagbemiga also referenced challenges in his working relationship with the Faculty President, stating it lacked
" cooperation and mutual respect ," and alleging that his exclusion was driven by " selfish ambition ."
He said continuing in office under such conditions would compromise his values and the integrity of his position, prompting his resignation.
In response to these claims, the ESAN President, in an interview conducted by the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) FUOYE, described the allegations as " baseless ." According to him, the Vice President
"has always been unavailable in his discharge of duty and mostly absent on important meeting days, most especially days that matter."
The President further clarified that the medium of communication among executives remained intact and that no separate group or platform had been created.
"He [Kenneth Oluwagbemiga] is an elected executive and I do not have the right to remove him from the general executive platform. I send out important information and discuss vital meetings via the general executive platform," he said.
Addressing concerns about a lack of empathy, the President stated that he had consistently shown concern for Oluwagbemiga’s wellbeing, noting that he had been "checking up on him health-wise and all his cabinet members." He added: "Each time I call him out on his laxity towards his duty, he always complains of one pain or the other and sometimes claims illness."
The President further described the resignation as "sudden and unexpected ," explaining that their last discussion involved the SUG Vice President, who suggested he would send Kenneth to him with a special aide to address his concerns — a step he said was not taken before the resignation was announced.
In a separate interview, the Faculty's Public Relations Officer, Samuel Ekeanya, corroborated the President's account, stating that "the President communicates with the executives via the official platforms and communication channels." He added that it was only recently that the resigned Vice President voluntarily left the group. Samuel also described the resignation as sudden and unexpected, expressing the view that such matters ought to be resolved within the council.
"I have had issues with other executives and we sorted it amicably. Not until yesterday did I see the notice of resignation," he said.
As of the time of this report, the Education Students' Representative Council had not issued any official response regarding the development.