The University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) is embroiled in a deepening crisis as Prof. Aisha Maikudi, the Vice Chancellor (VC), is accused of removing senior academics and professors from key positions within the institution. According to multiple sources within the university, Maikudi’s decision to replace experienced Heads of Departments (HODs) and directors with junior lecturers—some of whom have been assigned to manage departments completely unrelated to their field of expertise—has sparked widespread concern and anger. This move is seen as part of a broader strategy by Maikudi to consolidate her position and assert control over the institution, despite growing opposition to her appointment.
Sources within the university describe the situation as one of academic decay, with complaints about the deteriorating standards of academic governance and the university’s reputation. Senior lecturers, who have reportedly opposed Maikudi’s controversial appointment, have been systematically removed from leadership positions. In their place, relatively inexperienced junior lecturers, often unfamiliar with the departments they are assigned to head, are now in charge. Such changes are being viewed as a blatant attempt by the Vice Chancellor to surround herself with loyalists and silence dissenting voices within the academic community.
A senior source within the university commented: “The University of Abuja is now in chaos. The academic culture is decaying at an alarming rate. The removal of experienced professors and their replacement with inexperienced junior lecturers is destroying the very fabric of our academic structure. Some of these junior lecturers are now heading departments that are completely unrelated to their areas of study, further exacerbating the situation. It’s a systematic dismantling of the university’s academic integrity.”
The growing dissatisfaction among senior academic staff led to a boycott of the university’s most recent Senate meeting, a clear signal of their distrust in the administration’s ability to run the institution effectively. The Vice Chancellor’s appointment itself has been under scrutiny for its irregularities, with many accusing the University’s Governing Council of lacking transparency and fairness in the selection process.
A petition signed by 43 professors from the University of Abuja, which was sent to President Bola Tinubu in early January 2025, directly accused the university’s Governing Council of mishandling the VC appointment. The petition, dated January 2, 2025, highlighted alleged violations of due process, which the professors believe undermines the credibility of the university’s leadership. In their letter, they called for immediate intervention to restore integrity to the university’s administration and governance processes.
The professors, including prominent academic figures such as Prof. Olanrewaju Aladeitan, Prof. Umaru D. Muhammed, and Prof. Mabel I.E Evwiohana, requested that President Tinubu dissolve the current Governing Council, declare its proceedings null and void, and initiate a fresh, transparent process for appointing the next Vice Chancellor. This bold call to action is a direct challenge to the perceived illegitimacy of Maikudi’s appointment and a plea for the restoration of academic order within the university.
In a letter to the Minister of Education, which was also signed by these 43 Senate members, the academics urged for the dissolution of the Governing Council. They further expressed their dissatisfaction with the Council’s handling of key decisions, including the controversial appointment of the current Vice Chancellor. These letters reflect mounting frustration among the academic elite, who are deeply concerned about the long-term ramifications of these governance issues on the future of the university.
The controversy surrounding Maikudi’s tenure as Vice Chancellor has far-reaching implications for the future of the University of Abuja and the broader Nigerian higher education system. Students, faculty members, and concerned citizens alike are calling for immediate intervention by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to address the crisis. With the university’s reputation hanging in the balance, many fear that the ongoing turmoil could further erode the trust that the public and academic community have in the institution.
The allegations surrounding Prof. Aisha Maikudi’s actions come at a time when universities across Nigeria are facing heightened scrutiny over issues of governance, transparency, and academic freedom. While the country’s higher education system has long struggled with challenges such as underfunding, mismanagement, and political interference, the situation at UNIABUJA is seen as a microcosm of the broader systemic issues that plague Nigerian universities.
As the crisis at the University of Abuja continues to unfold, stakeholders are calling for urgent reforms and a commitment to transparency in the leadership selection process. The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Ministry of Education are under intense pressure to take decisive action to restore the integrity of the university’s governance and ensure that it remains a place of academic excellence.
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