Five zonal coordinators of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, have declared their loyalty to the leadership of the association’s president, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The coordinators made their position known in a statement dated September 15, 2026, saying Nigerian students could no longer remain passive on political issues because government decisions directly affect their education, welfare and future.

They said students should participate actively in the electoral process, including obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, and taking part in decisions over who governs the country.

“As the Forum of NANS Coordinators, we affirm our loyalty to the directives of the NANS President on the 2027 general elections and await his direction accordingly,” the forum said.

The statement was signed by Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, Zone F Coordinator; Mohammed Muazu Hina, Zone E Coordinator; Victor Ogechukwu Anthony, Zone B Coordinator; Abiola Azeez Babatunde, Zone C Coordinator; and Josiah Adeyemo, Zone D Coordinator.

The coordinators said they had confidence in Akinteye’s “leadership, judgment and discernment,” while maintaining that Nigerian students should play an active role in the political process.

They argued that although NANS has often been regarded as an apolitical student body, its members are affected by government policies and therefore have a stake in electoral outcomes.

The forum also said NANS had been encouraging students to obtain their PVCs ahead of the 2027 polls.

The statement, however, did not endorse any political party or presidential candidate. It only pledged support for whatever direction the NANS president gives concerning the elections.

Akinteye was elected national president of NANS in May 2026 after the association’s national convention in Abuja and is listed by NANS as president for the 2026–2027 administration.

The coordinators’ declaration comes amid increasing political engagement between student leaders and political actors ahead of 2027.

In August, Education Minister Tunji Alausa urged NANS and other student leaders to mobilise 10 million student votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, saying continuity was needed to sustain education-sector programmes introduced by the administration.

TheCable later reported that Alausa said he intended to work with the NANS leadership to pursue the mobilisation target.

The latest statement from the zonal coordinators does not state whether their support for Akinteye’s direction amounts to support for Tinubu or any other candidate.

It instead positions the coordinators behind the NANS national leadership as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.