The University of Abuja (UniAbuja) is on the verge of an industrial crisis following allegations of a plot by the Governing Council to impose the Acting Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Aisha Sani Maikudi, as the substantive vice chancellor. The controversy has stirred unrest among officials and staff, who accuse the Council of manipulating the appointment process to favor Prof. Maikudi, daughter of the former council chairman, Alhaji Sani Maikudi.
The situation traces back to the tenure of the immediate past VC, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, who reportedly orchestrated Prof. Maikudi’s appointment as acting VC in the twilight of his administration. According to sources within the institution, Na’Allah allegedly influenced her rise as a reward to Alhaji Sani Maikudi, who is said to have played a crucial role in his own appointment five years ago by bending several rules to ensure his emergence as VC.
Concerns have now mounted, with claims that Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismail Kaita (retd.), the Chairman of the Governing Council, lowered the eligibility criteria for the VC position in a recent advertisement published in a national daily. The officials argue that this was done to favor the acting VC, Prof. Maikudi, despite her lacking the requisite experience as mandated by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for such appointments.
The alleged favoritism has led some to believe that the Governing Council is playing into an ethnic agenda, with insinuations that the Chairman of the Council, supported by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman—both of Fulani descent—is pushing to appoint an unqualified candidate.
UniAbuja’s spokesperson, Dr. Habib Yakoob, has refuted these claims of an imminent crisis, emphasizing that the process is still in its early stages. “There is no crisis of succession for the position of UniAbuja VC. The advert for the position of VC was placed on August 26, 2024, and just expired last week. At this point, only the Selection and Search Committees (from Council, Senate, and Congregation) have been constituted. Nothing else has been done. So any suggestion of imposition or preference for a particular candidate is purely speculative, premature, and mischievous,” Yakoob stated.
He further added that the Council, composed of credible individuals, would conduct a transparent process to ensure fairness in selecting the next substantive vice chancellor.
However, some insiders claim otherwise. One official who spoke to Daily Sun alleged that a “stormy” Council meeting occurred last Friday, where the Chairman of the Governing Council was reportedly accused of bending the rules in favor of the acting VC.
“There was a heated session over an attempt by the chairman and a few others to impose the acting VC, who is not qualified by any standards. The immediate past VC orchestrated this problem for personal reasons. He fast-tracked her promotion to deputy vice chancellor in 2022, knowing this would qualify her for the top position,” the official alleged.
The official further claimed that Prof. Maikudi’s father, who hails from Katsina, was instrumental in securing Prof. Na’Allah’s position five years ago. In return, Na’Allah allegedly “rewarded” him by fast-tracking his daughter’s career, culminating in her appointment as acting VC.
“When the Governing Council advertised the vacancy for the post of VC, all standards were lowered to pave the way for the acting VC, who has only two years of professorial experience,” the source added. This manipulation, they said, was the root cause of the friction during the recent Council meeting, where several members reportedly objected to the chairman’s overt support for Prof. Maikudi.
Meanwhile, Prof. Sylvester Ugoh, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) UniAbuja chapter, expressed caution about commenting on the matter. “I am not a member of the Council, so I do not have firsthand information on what might have transpired. However, the conventional requirement is that a candidate should have extensive university management experience. I cannot confirm whether this is clearly stated in UniAbuja law or any guidelines.”
The situation at UniAbuja mirrors concerns raised at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), where the Medical and Dental Consultants Association (MDCAN) and the Unizik Medics Alumni Association (UMAA) have similarly rejected the VC selection process. Both associations have raised alarm over what they describe as violations of the University’s establishment Act and the exclusion of certain academic disciplines, particularly clinical lecturers, from the process.
UMAA officials have highlighted significant discrepancies in the advertisement for the VC position at UNIZIK, asserting that it contravenes the provisions of the University’s establishment Act. They argue that the advertisement unfairly narrows the field of candidates by emphasizing personal achievements and securing specific research funding, which they claim disenfranchises many qualified applicants.
MDCAN President, Prof. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, also decried the exclusion of medical and dental lecturers from the selection process, warning that this could harm the university’s medical programs. “This exclusion undermines the critical role medical and dental lecturers play in the university’s mission and could lead to a breakdown in collaboration and morale,” he said.
