53-year-old man emerges SUG president of Port Harcourt university

A 53-year-old student, Mazi Alex Onu, has been elected as the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Onu, a 400-level student of Political Science, won the keenly contested election held on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, defeating his younger opponent to emerge as the new student leader of the institution.

His emergence has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing mixed opinions about his age and the dynamics of student leadership in Nigerian universities.

While some commentators commended Onu’s determination and passion for education, describing him as an inspiration to both young and mature students, others questioned the propriety of a man in his fifties holding a student union leadership position.

On X (formerly Twitter), user @MistaFrank_ wrote:

“Wait, is it that there’s no young person in that school or what? SUG president at the age of 53? This man should be seeking the role of VC or local government chairman naa.”

Another user, @Haakien, shared a humorous perspective:

“I know of someone who contested for SUG president three times before he won. He first contested in HND2 and lost, reenrolled for another HND and lost again, then reenrolled a third time, contested, and finally won.”

Some social media users, however, defended Onu’s right to contest.
On Facebook, Gogonte Obediah wrote:

“If he is qualified to be admitted to school and pays his fees, then he is qualified to contest SUG elections. There is no maximum age to being a student.”

Similarly, Hon. Chimaraoke O’Neal Akwara noted:
“As long as it happened in a university and he’s a bonafide student, he has every right to contest.”

Another user, Otis Horsfall, added:

“Why not? If he’s an undergraduate, it’s his right. At least he’s a president now — maybe next, he’ll become an LGA chairman or lawmaker.”

The Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, owned by the Rivers State Government, was established in October 2009 from the former Rivers State College of Education, which had existed since 1970.