The Chairman of Udu Local Government Council, Olorogun (Hon.) Vincent Ogheneruemu Oyibode, has congratulated Udu-born scholar, Richard Ogheneruemurode Remz Iyede Jr., on his election as Student Union President of Brunel University London, United Kingdom.
Iyede, a Mechanical Engineering student from Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, secured 702 votes in a keenly contested election to emerge as Welfare and Inclusion President — one of the institution’s highest student leadership offices.
The young leader is the son of Olorogun Richard Iyede, a respected traditional chief and industrialist in Udu Kingdom.
In a statement released through his Media Unit, Oyibode described Iyede as a shining ambassador of Udu Kingdom, Delta State and Nigeria at large, noting that his emergence further demonstrates the leadership capacity embedded in the youths of the Niger Delta.
“This is a proud moment for Udu. Richard Iyede Jr. has shown that our youths can compete and excel at the highest levels globally. He is a true ambassador of our kingdom,” the council chairman said.
Oyibode, who was himself a former student unionist at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, advised the newly elected president to anchor his administration on what he described as the “three Cs of unionism” — consultation, consolidation and constructive confrontation.
He stressed that unionism is fundamentally about welfarism and urged Iyede to place students’ welfare at the centre of his leadership agenda.
Before his latest victory, Iyede had established a strong record of service within the university community. As President of the African Caribbean Society, he introduced career-driven initiatives including CV workshops, participation in Black Business Week and STEM career fairs, as well as mental health awareness programmes aimed at supporting students.
In 2024, he was elected Chairman of the Student Assembly where he led student engagement during discussions on staff redundancies, organised a peaceful protest that facilitated dialogue with university management, and championed the introduction of a Start-Up Development Module to promote innovation among students.
He also represented the university at the UK Parliament as part of a delegation of the National Union of Students, lobbying on accommodation costs, grants and the wider cost-of-living challenges affecting students across the United Kingdom.
