The appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) hit a fresh crisis on Tuesday as external members of the Governing Council boycotted a scheduled meeting convened by the Council Chairman, Air Vice Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (retd.
Kaita, who is rumoured to have a preferred candidate for the position, reportedly called for the council meeting late Monday night, with plans to appoint a Vice-Chancellor by 3:00 PM on Tuesday.
Sources within the university have also disclosed that external council members were not presented with an agenda ahead of the meeting, raising concerns about transparency and due process. Emphasizing that the law governing the appointment of Vice-Chancellors clearly outlines the composition of the selection committee.
According to him: “The law states that unless the Chairman, two Council members (not members of Senate), and two Senate representatives (not members of Council) are present, any interview conducted for VC selection is null and void. There is no provision for a partial quorum or absence of key members. ”The external council members who boycotted the meeting include:
Prof. Raphael Akinfeleye (South-West Representative)
Mrs. Chisom Dorcas Obih (South-East Representative)
Alhaji Sabo Bappayo Ahmed (North-East Representative)
Earlier on Monday, a group of 67 professors submitted a protest letter to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, calling for the dissolution of the Governing Council and a fresh start to the selection process.
The professors accused the Chairman of rejecting over 87 applications (27 internal and 60 external), inviting only three candidates, and allegedly favoring the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, despite claims that she lacks the required qualifications.
The petitioners further alleged: Internal council members were handpicked by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, during an ASUU strike.
The council included unqualified members, such as a businesswoman and a representative from the Federal Ministry of Education, who lacked the expertise required for such roles.
Key criteria for the VC position, such as a minimum of ten years of professorial experience, were allegedly disregarded in the August 2024 advertisement.
They argued that Prof. Maikudi, with only two years of professorial experience, lacks both academic visibility and strong scholarly credentials to hold the office.
In their petition, the professors demanded the nullification of all actions taken by the current Governing Council and called on the Education Minister to:
Dissolve the Governing Council
Constitute a new council to oversee a transparent selection process
Ensure adherence to due process and merit-based selection
The petition warned: “Failure to address these concerns will have far-reaching consequences for the university and Nigeria’s higher education system, as other Governing Councils might adopt similar flawed processes.”
The situation at UniAbuja underscores the growing tension over leadership succession in Nigerian public universities, with stakeholders urging transparency, fairness, and strict adherence to established procedures.
