By Ezekiel Ogunniyi
The Association of Campus Journalists, Obafemi Awolowo University (ACJOAU), has announced its withdrawal from live coverage of the ongoing 2024/2025 Students’ Union election, after citing repeated harassment and obstruction of its reporters by electoral officials.
In a statement signed by the President of ACJOAU , Esther Olatimehin, and Public Relations Officer, Olanrewaju Lawal, the Association said the decision followed a pattern of intimidation faced by its members while carrying out situation reports across polling units on campus.
According to the statement, accredited ACJ reporters were blocked from accessing collation centres in several faculties, including Arts, Agriculture, Basic Medical Sciences, Law, and Social Sciences, despite properly identifying themselves.
ACJOAU described the development as a direct assault on press freedom and a threat to the transparency that should define the electoral process.
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The association noted that it has covered Students’ Union elections for decades with a record of impartial and accurate reporting, and expressed disappointment that this year’s process had been marred by obstruction from those responsible for overseeing it.
The Association said it will not resume live coverage of the election until the safety and unrestricted access of its members can be guaranteed, warning that silencing journalists undermines public confidence in the democratic process and the accountability the Electoral Commission is expected to uphold.
