It was celebration galore at the Purple Hills Hotel, Ilorin, on Saturday (November 16), when Comrade Adegbuloye Helen Felix, a penultimate Political Science Student from the University of Ilorin, and Comrade Faruq Olayinka Abdul-Quadri, also a 300L student of the same University, were declared as President and General Secretary of the election held by the National Association of Political Science Students (NAPSS NIGERIA).

The Convention Planning Committee (CPC), in conjunction with the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Association, had zoned the 2024 National Convention to the North Central, paving the way for the University of Ilorin to be the hosting institution.

This development came up a few months after NAPSS Unilorin elected new executives, led by its President, Comrade Abdulrasheed Abdulqadir Olalekan, Popularly known as Lakeside.

Shortly after Senator Olawale Abdulhamiid, the ELCOM Chairman from EKSU ILA chapter declared the president and the general secretary winners of the election with 22 votes each, the NAPSS Unilorin chapter described the victories as well deserved.

Temibi Samuel, the Public Relations Officer of NAPSS Unilorin in a statement, disclosed that the emergence of Helen as the first female National President of the Association justifies the chapter’s advocacy for women’s inclusion in leadership.

“This historic achievement testifies to our chapter’s commitment to breaking the barrier to women’s participation in leadership and governance, and it feels good for us to be renowned as change-makers among our contemporaries.

“We believe that the newly elected President and General Secretary will live up to expectations and will work to enhance the visibility and promote the image of our chapter in global affairs.”

It could be recalled that the NAPSS Unilorin recently outsmarted six departments to produce Comrade Ayodeji Christianah Abisola (Nene) as the first female President of the Faculty of Social Sciences Students Association (FOSSSA) Unilorin, in the 2023-2024 academic session.

Reacting to the election, the NAPSS Unilorin President, Comrade Abdulrasheed Abdulqadir Olalekan (Lakeside) expressed a profound joy for the success of the convention, particularly for his administration to produce the first female President of the Association at the national level.

He said: "To be honest, It feels good to see my chapter producing the 001 of NAPSS Nigeria. This convention lights up the roadmap for my administration. The convention is my first program, and the election of the newly elected national executives from my chapter is my first project. I feel so great that I started my administration on a good note and I delivered my first assignment.

He advised the new president to learn from the mistakes of her predecessor, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and inclusive administration.

The newly elected President, Comrade Adegbuloye Helen Felix, also shared her excitement with this reporter.

When asked how she felt about becoming the new President of NAPSS NIGERIA, she said: “I feel excited, I feel historic, and I feel like I’ve stepped into the most important role of my life. This is the emergence of an electrifying energy of a united Administration ready and committed to making impacts and uniting every NAPSSITES.”