The leadership crisis at the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) has taken a dramatic turn as Vice-Chancellor Prof. Aisha Maikudi faces fresh allegations of removing senior academics and professors from key administrative positions due to their opposition to her appointment.
According to multiple sources within the university, Maikudi has allegedly embarked on a systematic purge of experienced faculty members, stripping them of roles such as departmental heads and directors. In their place, she is said to have appointed junior lecturers—many of whom lack the requisite experience or expertise in the fields they have been assigned to lead.
Insiders describe an institution in turmoil, with the university’s academic culture suffering a steep decline. The sources claim that Maikudi’s moves are part of a broader strategy to consolidate power and suppress dissent, even as concerns mount over the legitimacy of her appointment.
One source lamented the state of affairs, saying:
“The University of Abuja stinks as academic culture decays uncontrollably. Senior academics and professors who oppose the illegal Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, are being removed from their positions as Heads of Departments and Directors. She is replacing them with inexperienced junior lecturers, some of whom have been assigned to lead departments completely unrelated to their fields of study. The National Universities Commission (NUC) must intervene urgently in the interest of students.”
The situation has reportedly reached a boiling point, with some faculty members and students calling for immediate government intervention to salvage the university’s academic integrity.
Tensions escalated further when senior professors of the university boycotted a recent Senate meeting in protest. Their absence forced Maikudi to fill the seats with newly appointed, less experienced faculty members—further fueling accusations of manipulation.
SaharaReporters had previously reported that on January 7, 2025, members of the university’s Senate, comprising 43 senior professors, petitioned President Bola Tinubu, declaring a total loss of confidence in the institution’s Governing Council.
In a letter dated January 2, 2025, the petitioners accused the Governing Council of a lack of integrity, competence, and fairness in the selection of the substantive Vice-Chancellor. They contended that the appointment process was riddled with irregularities and a blatant disregard for due process.
The outcry against Maikudi’s appointment is not new. On December 31, 2024, SaharaReporters revealed that the university’s Senate had passed a vote of no confidence on the Governing Council, citing gross violations of university laws and manipulation in the selection process.
A follow-up letter to the Minister of Education, dated December 27, 2024, and signed by the 43 concerned professors, demanded the dissolution of the Governing Council and a fresh, transparent selection process.
List of Signatories
Among the senior academics who signed the letter are:
Prof. Olanrewaju Aladeitan
Prof. Umaru D. Muhammed
Prof. Mabel I.E Evwiohana
Prof. Jude Omeje
Prof. Effiok Bassey Uwatt
Prof. Ifeoma Echezona
Prof. S.A.J Obansa
Dr. Yekeen Abdulmalik
Prof. F. N Ogwueleka
Prof. M.O Durojaye
Prof. Ndana R.W
Prof. W.D Nafarnda
Prof. O.F Ajagbona
Prof. Yusuf Ahmadu
Prof. Yau Muhammed Damagum
Prof. Abdulhamid Ozohu-Suleiman
Prof. Philip Akpen
…and many others.
As the crisis deepens, all eyes are now on the Federal Government and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to intervene before the university’s academic integrity is further eroded. The coming weeks could determine whether the university will regain its stability or spiral further into chaos.
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