The crisis over appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the University of Abuja, UniAbuja, deepened on Tuesday as members of the Governing Council boycotted a meeting convened by the Chairman, Air Vice Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita, retd.
Kaita reportedly called for the meeting late Monday to appoint a Vice-Chancellor at 3:00 PM on Tuesday.
However, external members of the council declined to attend, citing a lack of transparency and due process.
A source within the university, who requested anonymity, revealed that the chairman failed to provide an agenda for the meeting, raising suspicions about his intentions.
The source also emphasized that the law governing the appointment of Vice-Chancellors mandates the presence of specific council members for the selection process to be valid.
“The law is explicit: the Chairman, two council members who are not part of the Senate, and two Senate representatives who are not council members must all be present. Without this composition, any interview or decision is null and void,” the source explained.
Those who boycotted the meeting include Prof. Raphael Akinfeleye- South-West representative), Mrs. Chisom Dorcas Obih- South-East representative, and Alhaji Sabo Bappayo Ahmed- North-East representative.
On Monday, a group of 67 professors protested at the Ministry of Education, submitting a petition to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
They called for the dissolution of the Governing Council, alleging procedural irregularities and favoritism in the selection process.
The petition accused the Chairman of rejecting 27 internal applications and 60 external applications, shortlisting only three candidates allegedly to favor the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi.
The professors argued that Maikudi lacks the qualifications required for the role, including the stipulated 10 years of professorial experience.
The petitioners also criticized the composition of the Governing Council, claiming it included individuals without the expertise necessary for higher education governance.
They alleged that some council members were handpicked by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, during an Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, strike at the institution.
Furthermore, they claimed the advertisement for the Vice-Chancellor position, published in August 2024, omitted key criteria such as scholarly visibility and robust academic credentials.
The aggrieved professors demanded the dissolution of the Governing Council and the nullification of all decisions taken by it.
“We have lost total faith and confidence in the Governing Council to fairly and justly produce the best and most qualified Vice-Chancellor for the University of Abuja,” the petition read.
The group urged the Education Minister to take immediate corrective action, warning that failure to address the issue could set a dangerous precedent for other universities.
“This is a pivotal moment for safeguarding the integrity of the higher education system in Nigeria,” the petition concluded.
The unfolding controversy threatens to undermine the stability of UniAbuja’s leadership and has sparked broader concerns about governance and transparency in Nigerian universities.
