UniAbuja governance crisis: Council sues VC for alleged planned election

The University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Internal Governing Council says it has taken legal action against the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah for allegedly planning to elect new council members.
Prof. Edmund Nwana, a member of the Internal Council of the University disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had in June 2023 dissolved all the governing councils in federal universities in the country.
However, the federal government, on May 18 announced the constitution of governing council members of federal tertiary institutions.
Nwana blamed the VC for planning an election while their tenure had not expired.
According to him, the University of Abuja’s Internal Governing Council has intensified its stance, asserting that the planned election of new internal members violates established laws of the University.
He said that UniAbuja, unlike other Federal Universities in Nigeria, operates under a governance framework comprising both external and internal governing council members.
He said that the external council members typically consist of individuals appointed by the federal government while the internal governing council members are typically drawn from within the university community.
He said the internal governing council includes; faculty members, administrative staff, and student representatives through an election.
“We were elected on July 12, 2021, there was a contest in senate and we emerged winners. We were subsequently inaugurated on July 15, 2021 for a four year term.
“When the new administration came on board, we were about council assignments until we got information that the council was suspended. So we waited thinking it will be resolved in maybe another week.
“But it has lingered for now, almost going to a year. As we were watching and listening to know what next government wants to do, the rumours started flying and they are quite serious.
“That our administration here, led by the VC is planning to call for another election, on his own understanding that Council has gone.
“So we got wind of it and decided that, we don’t have time for any physical engagement or argument so we decided to seek the interpretation of the law because it is in the act of uniAbuja.
“So, we sought a legal explanation through the Federal High Court in Abuja a few days ago. So that’s where we are today, he has been served notice of a case that is pending,” he said
Nwana said that other federal universities where the tenures of internal council members has not ended, the members are going to return and complete their tenures.
He said their tenure would end July 14, 2025 not considering that they have lost one year, adding that the language about annulling election must never be heard in the country.
“For a vice Chancellor of a university to be attempting to annul an election suggest to me that he has no sense of peace regarding democracy and he should be called to other,” he said.
Speaking, Barr. Maxwell Opara, Council to the internal governing council members urged the VC not to hand himself out as somebody who do not obey the rule of law.
He called on the Minister of Education, Executive Secretary of NUC, Attorney General of the Federation and the President to call the VC to order.
“He should not behave as if we are under military regime. This is a country that is educated on constitutional governance and he should lead the way because this is where we produce lawyers, Doctors, Engineers.
“So whatever thing that is happening from an ivory tower like UniAbuja will have influence on the students here.
“He has options, either to allow the members of the council whose tenure is valid to complete their tenure or he should wait for the court to decide,” Opara said.
The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), UniAbuja branch, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh said the union was fully behind the council members for the right thing to be done.
“Our internal council members here in UniAbuja got the wind that the University administration led by the Vice Chancellor is planning seriously to conduct another council election, which we know is not in accordance with the law.
“Internal council members were elected for a tenure of four years and they have not exhausted the four years.
“ASUU being a union of intellectuals, we are in solidarity with our members because we respect the rule of law and want them to pursue it.”