Present and former student leaders have come together under a new coalition, the Coalition of Present and Past Student Leaders Association (COPPSLA), with the group declaring support for the presidential and other candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The maiden unveiling of the coalition was held at the Executive Conference Hall, Ikolaba, Ibadan, and brought together current and former Students’ Union Government (SUG) leaders, indigenous association leaders, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) representatives, Joint Campus Committee (JCC) leaders and other youth stakeholders.
The organisers said COPPSLA was established to unite present and former student leaders under one platform while building a structure that would extend beyond Oyo State to other parts of the country.
Speaking at the event, former NANS Senate President, Comrade Folusola Baba Okuwobi, delivered a keynote address titled “Another Challenge for a Better Nigeria.”
Okuwobi said Nigeria needed leadership focused on people-centred governance, productivity, security, education and accountability. He urged Nigerians to assess political candidates based on their ideas, records, programmes and proposed solutions.
He described the emergence of Engr. Seyi Makinde as the APM presidential candidate as another option in the 2027 political conversation.
Makinde has presented his “Reset Nigeria” agenda around four broad areas: economic productivity, education, security and governance. (Channels TV)
According to Okuwobi, the aspiration for a better Nigeria should go beyond electoral contests to creating an environment where citizens can work and prosper, young people can build their futures within the country, businesses can grow and public institutions can serve citizens effectively.
Also speaking, the COPPSLA Board of Trustees Chairman, Comrade Azeez Sarafudeen, popularly known as Pa Biafra, described the unveiling as a significant moment for student leadership and youth participation.
He said COPPSLA was created to bring present and former student leaders together for responsible political participation, good governance and youth development.
Sarafudeen stated that the coalition was committed to peaceful mobilisation for APM candidates, including Engr. Seyi Makinde and Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, while expressing the intention to expand the movement beyond Oyo State.
The Oyo State Chairman of COPPSLA, Comrade Oladoja Mubaraq, popularly known as Megabyte, said the coalition would harness the experience, networks and grassroots connections of present and former student leaders.
Mubaraq said the organisation understood the challenges confronting young Nigerians, particularly in education, employment, youth development and leadership opportunities.
He added that COPPSLA would promote civic responsibility, peaceful participation and informed decision-making while providing young people with a stronger voice in political and national discussions.
The chairman also disclosed that the coalition was targeting the mobilisation of more than 20 million voters for APM, with its activities expected to cover grassroots communities and wider national engagements.
In his goodwill message, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Oyo State Governor, Hon. Adeniyi Adeyinka Kazeem Bibiire, commended the student leaders for coming together under COPPSLA.
Bibiire encouraged the youth leaders to embrace responsible leadership and the Omoluabi values, while expressing support for their mobilisation around Makinde, Adekanmbi and other APM candidates.
He urged the coalition to ensure that its political engagement remained focused on ideas, capacity and the welfare of Nigerians.
Also speaking, Comrade Ajenifuja Olalekan said COPPSLA was established to contribute to what he described as the “reset” of Nigeria.
He urged members to establish a strong grassroots structure covering polling units, wards and local governments, stressing that sustained participation would be required to achieve the coalition’s objectives.
The Director of Youth Campaign for the Makinde/Adekanmbi campaign, Hon. Kazeem Bolarinwa, described young people as an important force in the country’s political process.
Bolarinwa said the campaign’s youth mobilisation structure was prepared to engage young people across communities, with consultations expected to move from polling unit to polling unit and ward to ward.
He encouraged young Nigerians to channel their numerical strength into constructive political participation and contribute ideas to discussions about the future of Oyo State and Nigeria.
The event also featured contributions from other student and youth leaders, including Dr. Olawoyin Olawale Rasheed and Elder Soliu Amuda, who emphasised unity, discipline, peaceful participation and increased youth involvement in democratic processes.
With the unveiling of COPPSLA, the organisers said they had commenced a structured effort to unite present and former student leaders under one platform, with their immediate political focus on mobilising support for Makinde, Adekanmbi and other APM candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Other stakeholders at the event included Alhaji Saheed Babalola, Comrade Aransi Wasiu, Adeleke Ademola Abayomi, Olugbade Bukunmi, Comrade Oyebamiji Sodiq, Oladotun Abdulrokeeb Olaniyi, Aluko Emmanuel, Odelabi Abiodun Emmanuel, Lasisi Ridwan, Abayomi Sunday Olaosebikan, Gazali Mariam Temitope and others.
