BUSA Elections 2026

As the BUSA elections draw closer, a clearer picture is beginning to form, not just of who is running, but how they are thinking.

For some aspirants, the decision to run didn’t happen overnight. It built over time: through involvement, observation, and, in some cases, frustration. One executive hopeful described it as “reaching a point where you stop complaining about gaps and start asking what you can do about them.” A senatorial aspirant echoed a similar sentiment, pointing to consistent engagement with students as the moment things shifted from interest to responsibility.

The question of readiness comes up quickly. Most candidates admit there was no perfect moment, but rather a growing sense of responsibility. “You never feel 100% ready,” one aspirant noted, “but you reach a point where you understand the weight of the role and decide to step into it anyway.”

Choice of position, however, appears more deliberate. Executive aspirants tend to speak in terms of broader impact: policy, visibility, and institutional engagement, while senatorial candidates lean closer towards representation and accessibility. For them, it’s about being closer to the students they serve and addressing concerns more directly.

The screening process has also shaped early perceptions of the race. While most agree it adds a level of structure, opinions differ on how well it reflects true competence. Some see it as necessary but limited. "It tests knowledge and composure, but not consistency,” one candidate remarked. Others view it as a fair filter, even if not perfect.

When asked what success looks like, responses become more specific. Beyond general promises, aspirants are focusing on tangible outcomes, better communication systems, more inclusive programming, and initiatives that extend beyond events into actual student development. There’s a noticeable shift from visibility to impact.

At the same time, there is quiet criticism of the system they hope to enter. A recurring concern is the disconnect between leadership and the average student. Several aspirants pointed to communication gaps and delayed responses to student concerns as issues that need urgent attention.

Opinions on past leadership are measured. While there is acknowledgment of effort and progress, there is also a shared belief that more can be done, particularly in consistency and follow-through.

On a personal level, the process seems to be doing its own work. Aspirants speak about increased self-awareness, discipline, and the pressure of being watched. “You become more conscious of your words and actions because people are already assessing you," one aspirant noted.

Interestingly, when asked what they would expect if they weren’t in the race, the answers are simple: visibility, accountability, and clear results.

In the end, beyond strategies and campaign plans, most aspirants define themselves in similar terms: approachable, accountable, and willing to learn.

Now, it would be sour of us not to tell you both sides of the story. While the election aspirants show ambitious and driven countenance, one should also wonder about the same for the once-ambitious officials, seeing as their administration’s tenure is swiftly coming to an end. In an interview with Mr. Williams-Daudu Temiloluwa, the Executive President, he shared that it had been “quite a journey” and how fast the year had flown by. When asked to define his administration, he explained that his primary vision was not to “follow the norm.” He saw his predecessors’ work as “building blocks” and believed that if an idea was “realistic and beneficial,” there was no reason not to do it.

He lamented the late delivery of the swimming pool project, but also showed pride in enlisting part-time students in the eligible class for the BUSA Scholarship. And the writers of this article would like to remind you, dear reader, that as much as we expect the very best of all those who step into leadership positions, we can not expect them to be perfect.

On that topic, the President stated that “everyone wants results,” but “don’t know what it takes to get results.” He expressed the biggest misunderstanding of his role to be the assumed ease of executing the students’ will. He reminds us that “every organization has a structure in place.”

On campaign promises, the President shared that he could fulfill most of them but still had two currently underway; the two being the swimming pool and scholarship, which he shared would be completed this week before examinations. He reflected on how water and electricity were made more constant, and spoke on projects the public was not yet aware of, like the new laptops in BUCODeL, and the attempts to make PVC registration convenient for students.

One should wonder, with a lack of feedback on certain projects, how the administration measures its impact. On this, the President shared that there was measurable feedback on more public projects, but where there was a lack of it, they measured based on the changes that they saw. Frequent Google Forms from each directory were shared with the student body for the collation of complaints and feedback. In his words, “there’s no such thing as bad feedback.”

The President was firm in his conviction not to seek “glory” for the administration’s actions. “It doesn’t matter who did this,” he stated, but for the sake of accountability, there would be a recap magazine to document the administration’s activities.

When asked about the controversy surrounding the election’s credibility, he stated the evidence of credibility was in the name of the electoral committee: Babcock University Students’ Independent Electoral Committee. He explained that BUSA and BUSIEC are two independent bodies, and the latter does not answer to the former. He also shared that the members of the committee were screened by the Senate, and he was not involved in the process. The school administration is also involved in the screening of the aspirants, so the chances for bias or manipulation were slim.

“Do not judge based on what you’ve heard,” “be confident,” “pick your battles,” and “don’t rush” were the advice Mr. Williams-Daudu had to offer the aspirants. He had observed that who he is now is not who he was when he was screened, and there were a lot of things he thought he knew but didn’t. The role had sculpted his discipline and ability to find balance between academics, work, and self-care. The most difficult part of the role for him was “getting people to understand that he also answers to the school” as a student and satisfying different demographics. He summarized his leadership with the sentence, “JUST DON’T STOP,” expressing his desire for constant movement and progress.

His is not the only counter-perspective we have to offer. Mr. Adedoja Daniel Ademola, the Secretary of the Babcock University Students’ Independent Electoral Committee, represented BUSIEC at a recent interview with us, offering their take on the 2026 BUSA elections. He explained the election process to be carried out as follows:

● Sales of forms.

● Purchase of forms by aspirants.

● Issuance of official receipts by the Treasurer.

● Emailing of official receipts to the BUSIEC email.

● Emailing of the election forms to purchasers.

● Filling and Submission of the election forms.

● Screening.

● Release of Screening results to the public.

● Appeal Period.

● First Round of Campaigns.

● Manifesto Hearing/Presidential Debate.

● Second Round of Campaigns (Rallies).

● Election Day.

● Release of Election results.

When asked about measures used to ensure the fairness of elections, Mr. Ademola shared that every member of BUSIEC was screened in academics and morals for the position, and that the school administration was very involved in the election process, from the filling of forms, which requires signatures from the HOD, SOP, and VPSD offices, to the screening, where the BUSA Sponsor, Co-sponsor, Director of Student Activities, and VPSD are seated with BUSIEC.

On conflict resolution, he explained that every complaint should be submitted to the committee so it can be looked into. Both sides of the story are investigated, and the accused party is allowed to defend themselves. Where a party is found guilty, they are issued a strike or disqualified from partaking in the election.

The criteria expected of aspirants were not fully disclosed, but Mr. Secretary did state that it covers the student’s life holistically, and each aspirant is judged based on their countenance, and the knowledge they possess on the post they hope to occupy. All eligibility requirements must be met to ensure every candidate on the ballot is qualified.

On the alleged Godfather system corrupting the election transparency, Mr. Ademola explained that each aspirant’s screening is recorded, and should an aspirant appeal, the recording will be brought up and used to find a reason to fulfill it. He also shared that there are 11 people involved in the screening process, and it would be unlikely for those people who are most likely just meeting themselves to conspire together and be biased toward any aspirant.

Mr. Ademola also stated that the election process had faced time delays due to how long the committee would spend screening one candidate over another, and BUMU-related issues that led to late submissions. He expressed his hope for this to be the worst of it as the challenges affect the timeline of their work. He shared that this year’s election was mostly the same as previous elections, the only unique factor being that a member of the committee was deposed. He clarified that she had not failed in the requirements or broken any rules but dropped it to “maintain the integrity and fairness of the committee” as she possessed her own political ambitions.

There have been many misconceptions surrounding the BUSA elections, and we, the writers of this article, hope that you, dear reader, have a better understanding of the election process currently underway and are more encouraged to exercise your right to vote. The aspirants promise visionary initiatives, while the committee promises not to let any unworthy candidate reach your ballot. Stay tuned for more interviews, expositions, and deep dives into this year’s democratic scheme.

Have a good one!

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