The Federal Ministry of Education has halted a planned national election of the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), citing alleged constitutional breaches.
Mr Adeolu Ogunbanjo, Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), NAPTAN, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
The development followed disagreements between factions over the leadership of the association.
Ogunbanjo said the election scheduled for Sept. 9 in Abuja by the faction led by Mr Haruna Danjuma and Dr Ekundayo Ademola breached NAPTAN’s constitution.
He said the constitution stipulated that national elections should be conducted between April and May.
According to him, the timing of the proposed election therefore became a major concern for the ministry.
He said the ministry also questioned the continued stay of the current leadership, noting the constitution prescribed a four-year tenure.
“The present leadership has been in office for over 20 years, despite the constitutional provision limiting the tenure of executives to four years,” he said.
Ogunbanjo disclosed that other concerns reportedly raised by the ministry included allegations of importing delegates for the election.
He added that the ministry also cited a pending court matter in Osun involving Ademola.
The BoT chairman, however, said the issues required resolution through dialogue, reconciliation and strict adherence to NAPTAN’s constitutional provisions.
He quoted a senior ministry official as saying, “Until both parties reconcile and follow due process, no election will be recognised by the ministry.”
Ogunbanjo said the ministry directed the contending factions to return to dialogue and resolve their differences before any fresh election attempt.
“Any election conducted outside the ministry’s directive will not be recognised and is therefore null, void and of no effect,” he quoted the official as also saying.
He said the crisis emerged at a critical period when parents needed a united platform to participate effectively in education policy discussions.
Ogunbanjo said major education reforms and policy engagements expected ahead of 2027 made resolving the association’s internal differences more urgent.
He urged the contending parties to prioritise Nigerian children and the education system through transparency, unity and constitutional compliance.
He said a credible and united parents’ association remained vital to ensuring parents’ concerns were adequately represented in national education policy discussions.
