The controversy over the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor (VC) at the University of Abuja escalated on Tuesday when external members of the Governing Council refused to attend a meeting convened by the Council Chairman, Air Vice Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (retd).
The meeting, scheduled for 3:00 p.m., was reportedly called late Monday to finalize the appointment of a substantive VC. However, sources allege that Kaita has a preferred candidate, raising concerns over procedural violations.
A source close to the institution, speaking anonymously, claimed that the chairman failed to provide an agenda for the meeting. The source also emphasized that the law governing the selection of a VC requires specific members to be present for the process to be valid.
“The law is clear. Unless the Chairman, two Council members who are not part of Senate, and two Senate representatives who are not Council members are present, any interview conducted for the selection of a VC is null and void,” the source explained. “There is no provision for just one Senate representative or four members. The issue of quorum does not arise. All members must be present.”
The external Council members absent from the meeting included Prof. Raphael Akinfeleye (South West), Mrs. Chisom Dorcas Obih (South East), and Alhaji Sabo Bappayo Ahmed (North East).
Protests Over Alleged Irregularities
The situation follows protests by 67 professors, who on Monday submitted a petition to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, urging the dissolution of the Council. The professors argued that the process lacked transparency and failed to follow due process.
They alleged that the chairman dismissed 87 applications—27 internal and 60 external—and shortlisted only three candidates, one of whom is the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi. The petitioners claim Maikudi lacks the required qualifications for the position.
According to the petition, the Acting VC has just two years of experience as a professor, falling short of the ten years specified in the August 2024 advertisement for the position. Additionally, they criticized her academic credentials and scholarly visibility.
The professors also raised concerns about the composition of the Council, alleging that internal members were handpicked by the previous VC, Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, during a period when the university’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter was on strike. They further questioned the inclusion of representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education and a businesswoman, arguing they lacked the expertise to uphold governance standards.
Call for Action
The protesting academics demanded the dissolution of the current Council and the establishment of a new body to oversee the selection process. They called on the Education Minister to nullify all decisions made by the Council to prevent setting a dangerous precedent.
“We have lost total faith and confidence in the Governing Council to be fair and just in producing the best and most qualified Vice-Chancellor for the University,” their letter read. “We urge you to take immediate corrective action to restore the integrity of the process by dissolving the Governing Council and reconstituting a new one to superintend fresh and fair proceedings.”
The professors warned that failure to act could have “far-reaching consequences for the university and the higher education system in Nigeria,” as it might encourage similar governance issues in other institutions.
