UNILORIN 300-Level Student Challenges Politicians in Political Science Exam

A 300‑level Political Science student at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), known online as @fado_maverick, has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his frustration over being tested on the actions of high-profile Nigerian politicians like Malam Nasir El‑Rufai, Senator Natasha Akpoti, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and President Bola Tinubu—political events in which he had no personal role. 

“It is not me who led the coalition, nor did I initiate the suspension of Senator Natasha, but I am the one suffering the consequences. MMS.” 

He humorously added: 

“You’ll think it’s easy to analyze politics until you study Political Science in Unilorin.” 

Exam Details (POS 314 – Contemporary Political Analysis) 

Faculty: Social Sciences Department: 

Political Science

 Session: 2024/2025 

Rain Semester Course Code: POS 314 

Credit Units: 2 

Time: 2¼ hours 

Instruction: Answer Question 1 plus any two others 

1. (a) Discuss the crises affecting the objectivity of Contemporary Political Analysis (20 marks). (b) Explain why theory is vital to this field of study (10 marks). 

2. Analyze Nasir El‑Rufai’s role in the current administration and his push to galvanize Northern opposition in 2027—using a political theory of your choice. 

3. Critically assess the suspension of Senator Natasha from the Senate through the lens of the traditional legal approach. 

4. Evaluate Atiku Abubakar’s claim that PDP governors are undermining President Tinubu ahead of 2027, referencing John Higley and Michael Burton’s New Elite Theory. 

5. Choose one of the following theories and write an extended essay covering its principles, key advocates, critiques, and relevance to Nigerian politics: 

Marxism 

Modernisation 

Theory Dependency 

Theory Post‑behavioural Approach 

Systems Approach 

Structural‑Functional Approach 

Game Theory 

Elite Theory 

Rational Choice Theory 

Cultural Approach 

Student Reactions Fellow UNILORIN students weighed in on social media: 

@HassanKabirii: “That number 1 doesn’t look like a question in the first place ????…I knew I was going to fail immediately I saw the question paper.” 

@whiskey102622: “Omo POS no small oo, well Na my department una dey pass least for faculty sha.” 

@HakeemLayeni: “These questions are too soft for a 300L students, UNILORIN can do better.” 

@echi_godwin: “The Dept of History … should emulate this—using historical issues … to relate to contemporary events.” 

Other comments reflected both amusement and criticism about the difficulty and relevance of the questions. 

The incident sparked a discussion about the academic rigor of UNILORIN’s Political Science programme. 

While the exam clearly ties current political events to theoretical frameworks, many students felt it was overly demanding for their level. 

The reactions show a blend of humor, stress, and academic critique as they grapple with being expected to analyze politics in a highly contextual and theoretical manner.