President Bola Tinubu has dismissed Professor Aisha Maikudi from her position as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, also known as Yakubu Gowon University.
This decision was communicated through an official statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. The statement also announced the dissolution of the university’s entire governing council.
Senator Lanre Tejuoso has been appointed as the new Pro-Chancellor of the institution, while Professor Lar Patricia Manko will assume the role of Acting Vice-Chancellor for a six-month interim period. However, she will not be eligible to apply for the substantive Vice-Chancellor position when it becomes vacant.
Similar administrative changes have been implemented at other federal universities. At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbu has been removed from his position as Acting Vice-Chancellor and replaced by Professor Oguejiofu T. Ujam, who will serve for six months under the same condition barring him from applying for the permanent role.
In another development, the university’s Pro-Chancellor, General Ike Nwachukwu, has been reassigned to the University of Uyo, while Engineer Olubunmi Kayode Ojo has been named the new Pro-Chancellor of UNN.
The statement further elaborated on additional appointments and reassignments across various institutions:
Senator Joy Emordi, formerly the Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, will take over as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi.
Professor Zubairu Tajo Abdullahi, who was the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, has been appointed to the same position at the Federal University of Lokoja.
Senator Sani Stores, previously a Council Member at UNN, has been named the new Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education.
Barrister Olugbenga Kukoyi, also a Council Member at UNN, is now the Pro-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
All appointments and reassignments take effect immediately.
Meanwhile, concerns regarding the leadership crisis at the University of Abuja had previously been raised by 43 professors, who penned an open letter to President Tinubu, urging him to address the situation before it escalated further.
These academics alleged that Professor Maikudi’s appointment was marred by irregularities and a flawed selection process. The tension within the university escalated on January 29, when members of the institution’s Senate walked out in protest during a scheduled meeting.
Sources revealed that the unrest stemmed from unresolved grievances, including an attack on Senate members by a vigilante group on December 23, 2024, and concerns over Maikudi’s appointment, which many believed was illegitimate. Attempts to raise these issues during the meeting were reportedly suppressed, with one professor being interrupted and having his microphone seized before he could finish speaking.
The ongoing turmoil highlights the broader governance challenges affecting federal universities across the country.
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