The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) and the Auchi Polytechnic management have slammed former presidential candidate Peter Obi for prematurely claiming that students died during the recent disruptions at the institution’s Student Union Government (SUG) elections.
At a press briefing in Abuja, NAPS President Eshiofune Paul Oghayan asserted that Obi’s statement was a “deliberate fabrication,” accusing him of using “the commodification of grief” for political leverage. The students’ body clarified that while some individuals sustained minor injuries from tear gas exposure, “no student died” and “no hospitalisation was recorded” in relation to the incidnt.
Auchi Polytechnic’s Public Relations Director, Angela Egele, also dismissed Obi’s claims, calling them “false, misleading and completely unfounded.” She emphasized that multiple security agencies, including the army, police and vigilante corps, were deployed during the elections, and reaffirmed that “no student was shot, injured, or killed during the electoral process”
Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society groups on transparency in governance criticized Obi for amplifying what they believe to be an unverified and inflammatory narrative, noting that his actions unnecessarily escalated public anxiety in Auchi and beyond.
Peter Obi had taken to social media on July 7, describing the situation during the election as a “national indictment,” citing reports of deaths and injuries among students.
However, with none of the alleged casualties identified, student leaders and institutional officials have demanded Obi publish the names, faces and families of the supposed victims or issue a public apology.
NAPS has additionally threatened peaceful nationwide protests and demos if Obi fails to retract his statement and tender an apology within 72 hours.