Girne American University Student David Okafor Elected NANS Turkish Zone President

National Association of Nigerian Students, Turkish zone, has elected David Okafor of Girne American University as its national president for the 2026/2027 academic year.

Okafor emerged at the 2026 NANS Turkish Zone National Convention held at Cyprus International University on September 12, where delegates from the association’s five zones, chapter presidents, secretariat members, observers and other stakeholders participated.

This was contained in a communiqué by the Convention Electoral Chairman, Emmanuella Akubuko, and made available on Monday by the newly elected Vice-President, National Affairs, Odunze Divine.

Other principal officers elected at the convention were Vice-President, External Affairs, Mustafa Adamu; Vice-President, Special Duties, Adebayo Emmanuel; Secretary-General, Jude Alabi; Assistant Secretary-General, Festus Ikenuo; Chief of Staff, Collins Egheneji; and Financial Secretary, Victory Agberia.

The convention also resolved a dispute over who could vote in executive elections, agreeing that members of the Executive Council would vote alongside Senate members, despite a Senate by-law that had restricted such voting to senators.

Subsequently, the convention produced a new Senate leadership, with Idris Usman of Near East University defeating Samuel of Cyprus International University by 26 votes to 13 to become Senate President.

Wisdom Ake of Cyprus American University was elected Deputy Senate President.

The convention also suspended the outgoing Senate President, Joshua Silvanus, over negligence of duty under Article 13 of the NANS Turkish Zone Constitution, as amended in 2025.

Eliana Abraham was subsequently sworn in as Acting Senate President for the duration of the convention.

Okafor, in his acceptance speech, pledged grassroots empowerment and continuation of the strides of the immediate past administration.

Following his election, Okafor appointed Alabi as Secretary-General and Egheneji as Chief of Staff, with both officers immediately sworn into their respective positions.

The new administration also conferred life membership of NANS Turkish Zone on the outgoing president, Daniel Okpala, after a motion sponsored by Okafor was adopted by Congress.

In its resolutions, the convention retained the association’s five-zone structure without further amendments and reaffirmed the new administration’s commitment to unity, transparency and the academic and social welfare of Nigerian students in Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.