The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Committee (JCC) Lagos State, under Chairman Quadri I. Odewunmi, has dismissed claims rejecting its participation in the unveiling of the KOH Youth Ambassadors, describing the reports as false and misleading.
In a strongly worded rejoinder issued on April 26, 2026, Odewunmi refuted an earlier statement by a rival faction of the student body which had disowned the event and declared it null and void. He maintained that those behind the rejection lack legitimacy and do not represent the recognized structure of NANS in Lagos State.
According to him, the individuals responsible for the contrary position are “impostors” attempting to gain relevance through misinformation, propaganda, and media theatrics.
“Ordinarily, such a baseless and poorly crafted release would not deserve a response, but for the sake of clarity and to prevent the unsuspecting public from being misled, it has become necessary to set the record straight,” the statement read.
The rebuttal follows an earlier claim by another NANS faction, led by Chairman Ridwan Ajayi, which described the appearance of Odewunmi at the KOH Youth Ambassadors unveiling as unauthorized and a misrepresentation of the student movement’s leadership.
Responding to this, Odewunmi questioned the credibility of the group, noting their silence during previous official engagements by his leadership, including a visit to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
“It is both ironic and suspicious that these same individuals failed to raise any concerns when the recognized leadership engaged critical stakeholders,” he said.
The Odewunmi-led leadership also addressed allegations against the Lagos State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Adigun Ibrahim Olalekan, who had been accused by the rival faction of influencing the event for political purposes.
Odewunmi dismissed the allegations as “false, baseless, and politically motivated,” warning against attempts to drag the NYCN chairman into what he described as unnecessary controversy aimed at gaining public sympathy.
The statement further reaffirmed that the leadership of NANS JCC Lagos under Odewunmi remains the only recognized and structured body representing students in the state, insisting that no amount of media manipulation can alter that position.
Reiterating its stance on the KOH initiative, the group declared continued support for the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, citing his track record and contributions to governance.
The leadership noted that its backing for Hamzat is based on a careful assessment of his administrative competence and commitment to the development of Lagos State.
Odewunmi therefore urged the public, stakeholders, and the student community to disregard the rejection claims, insisting they hold no legitimacy within the structure of NANS Lagos.
He also warned those behind what he described as acts of impersonation and misinformation to desist, stressing that the integrity and unity of the Lagos student movement must be protected from individuals driven by self-interest.