NUGS election results annulled

The General Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Bismark Yaw Ofori, has declared the 2025 national elections invalid over alleged constitutional violations.

In a statement issued on Sunday, October 19, the same day the elections were set to begin, Mr. Ofori said the process failed to meet key constitutional requirements, rendering it illegitimate.

He cited two major breaches that, in his view, compromised the integrity of the elections and stripped them of legal backing.

According to him, the first breach was the failure to authenticate the voter register as stipulated in the NUGS Constitution.

The document mandates that both the General Secretary and the National President must sign the register before it is approved for use.

Mr. Ofori said he was never requested to sign, which, in his estimation, nullifies the register and any election conducted with it.

He further pointed to the failure to hold the compulsory Conference on Education, often referred to as the Responsible Mining Conference, on the second day of Congress.

He explained that the absence of this conference automatically invalidates the positions of all national officers except the Administrative Secretary.

Mr. Ofori maintained that because of these constitutional lapses, every national executive position, including the presidency, is effectively vacant.

He therefore called on the Judicial Board to intervene and provide an official interpretation of the union’s constitution to restore clarity and order.

Urging delegates and candidates to remain calm, he appealed for the immediate suspension of the election process and advised that the Committee of Bloc Heads assume temporary leadership until the issues are resolved.

He also cautioned against sidelining elected officers in critical decision-making processes, reminding future leaders to prioritize inclusiveness, transparency, and constitutional integrity.

The declaration has left the 2025 NUGS Congress in limbo, with many student representatives awaiting the Judicial Board’s verdict on the union’s next steps.

The election is for national executive positions of NUGS which include President, General Secretary, Administrative Secretary, Financial Controller and other secretaries.

These roles carry influence. Among others, they shape NUGS’s advocacy, engagement with government, student welfare policies, and national youth programmes.

The 2025 cycle was especially significant because it came after a disrupted 2024 process and amid a broader context of student activism.