Amid controversy, the Governing Council of the University of Abuja, under the chairmanship of Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd), has approved the appointment of Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi as the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university.
The appointment was announced during the 77th Extraordinary Meeting of the Council on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
The appointment takes effect from January 1, 2025, and is for a non-renewable tenure of five years, according to a statement by the Acting Director of Information and University Relations, Dr. Habib Yakoob, made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to the statement, Maikudi emerged as the best candidate among 10 shortlisted individuals interviewed by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board of the university, in line with the regulations governing the process.
Before her appointment as substantive Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi served in an acting capacity from July 5, 2024. During this period, she worked closely with the Governing Council to stabilize the university amid a challenging crisis, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment.
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the University of Abuja took a new turn on Tuesday as external members of the Governing Council boycotted a meeting convened by the Chairman, Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd).
Kaita, rumored to have an anointed candidate for the position, called the council meeting late Monday to appoint a substantive Vice-Chancellor at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
However, a source close to the university revealed that external members were unaware of the chairman’s decision, as he failed to produce an agenda before the meeting.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, stated that the law governing the selection and appointment of a Vice-Chancellor was clear and that the chairman was not adhering to due process.
According to the source, the law stipulates that unless the Chairman, two council members who are not Senate members, and two representatives of the Senate who are not council members are present, any interview conducted for selecting a Vice-Chancellor is null and void.
“There is no provision for just one Senate representative or four members. The issue of quorum does not arise. All the members must be present,” the source stated.
The external council members who boycotted the meeting include Prof. Raphael Akinfeleye, representing the South-West; Mrs. Chisom Dorcas Obih, representing the South-East; and Alhaji Sabo Bappayo Ahmed, representing the North-East.
Earlier, a group of 67 professors had stormed the Ministry of Education on Monday, submitting a protest letter to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, urging him to dissolve the council and initiate a fresh selection process in line with due process and the laws governing public universities.
The professors alleged that the chairman rejected over 27 internal applications and 60 external applications (87 in total) and invited only three candidates to favor his preferred choice, Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Aisha Maikudi, despite her alleged lack of qualifications.
They claimed the council was improperly constituted, with internal members handpicked by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, during a strike by the university’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter.
