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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has removed Professor Aisha Maikudi as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UNIAbuja), now officially renamed Yakubu Gowon University.
According to a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the decision was accompanied by the dissolution of the university’s governing council.
Senator Lanre Tejuoso has been appointed as the new Pro-Chancellor of the institution, while Professor Lar Patricia Manko will serve as the Acting Vice Chancellor for six months.
She will not be eligible to apply for the substantive position when it becomes available.
Similar leadership changes have taken place at other federal universities, including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbu was removed as Acting Vice-Chancellor and replaced by Professor Oguejiofu T. Ujam, also on a six-month tenure.
In the reshuffle, General Ike Nwachukwu has been reassigned from UNN to serve as the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, while Engineer Olubunmi Kayode Ojo has been named the new Pro-Chancellor of UNN.
Other appointments include Professor Zubairu Tajo Abdullahi as Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja and Senator Sani Stores as Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education.
Crisis in UNIAbuja
The shake-up follows growing tensions at UNIAbuja.
Reports indicate that 43 professors wrote an open letter to President Tinubu, urging his intervention in what they described as an unfolding crisis at the institution.
Allegations of irregularities in Maikudi’s appointment had sparked controversy, with some faculty members claiming the selection process was flawed.
Tensions escalated on January 29 when members of the UNIAbuja Senate staged a protest walkout during a meeting.
Insiders revealed that concerns were raised over an alleged unprovoked attack on Senate members by vigilante groups in December 2024.
The situation worsened when a professor attempted to introduce these issues into the meeting’s agenda but was silenced, leading to the protest.
“The fraudulent selection process that paved the way for Aisha Maikudi to succeed herself as substantive Vice Chancellor remains a major issue,” a source revealed, according to Sahara Reporters.
“The large presence of vigilantes around the Senate Chambers further signaled the unrest.”
President Tinubu’s decision to remove Maikudi and restructure multiple federal universities signals a major shake-up in tertiary education leadership, with many awaiting further developments on the fate of these institutions.