The current administration of the University of Abuja, led by an unlawfully appointed acting Vice-Chancellor and a one-man Governing Council, stands as one of the most egregious missteps of the Tinubu Presidency since its inauguration on May 29, 2023.
The imposed leadership, featuring Professor Patricia Manko Lar as Acting Vice-Chancellor and Senator Lanre Tejuoso as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, came about following the abrupt and unlawful removal of the duly constituted governance structure. On February 6, 2025, the entire Governing Council and the newly appointed substantive Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, were dismissed without any official explanation.
In a press statement justifying this decision, the government claimed that these leadership changes reflected President Tinubu’s “commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s higher education system through dynamic leadership and accountability.” However, the government’s disregard for due process and university autonomy undermines this claim. Nigerian universities operate under established legal and administrative frameworks, leaving no room for unilateral interventions by the President. The current situation at the University of Abuja sets a dangerous precedent and erodes the hard-earned autonomy of the nation’s universities.
President Tinubu, once regarded as a seasoned politician and technocrat, has veered off course by overstepping his role as a Visitor to the University and assuming an authoritarian approach. If unchecked, his administration may extend its overreach, micromanaging universities to the detriment of the nation’s tertiary education system. Reports indicate that the Minister of Education is poised to approve major administrative and statutory changes at the University, further exacerbating the crisis.
This situation is a recipe for institutional instability, reminiscent of past academic staff strikes triggered by government interference. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has already condemned this development, stating in its resolution of February 8-9, 2025, that the removal of the Vice-Chancellor and dissolution of the Governing Council were flagrant violations of university autonomy.
Several critical questions arise from this crisis: What motivated the Tinubu administration to bypass legal and procedural norms? Was the government misled into believing that the post-transition disagreements following Professor Maikudi’s appointment constituted a full-blown crisis? Even if disputes existed, was dismantling the entire governance structure and replacing it with a makeshift administration legally justifiable? Did the Presidency accuse the Governing Council of incompetence or corruption before dissolving it? More importantly, does the President have the power to remove internal members of the Council appointed by the University Senate and Congregation?
An earlier analysis titled “Removal of the University of Abuja Vice-Chancellor: The Untold Story of President Tinubu’s Missteps,” published in Vanguard and Tribune Online on February 10, 2025, highlighted that the new leadership, represented by Senator Tejuoso and Professor Lar, was supposedly tasked with restoring ‘sanity’ to the institution. However, this so-called crisis appears to have been orchestrated by vested interests for their own gains. The government fell for this false narrative due to the failure—or collusion—of key supervisory agencies, particularly the Federal Ministry of Education. The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has demonstrated a gross misunderstanding of university governance, leading to this disastrous intervention.
Ordinarily, Presidential decisions should be informed by credible advice from the responsible agencies and officers. In this case, the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) should have provided sound counsel. However, it is evident that the Presidency acted on faulty or misleading advice, leading to the drastic and unnecessary removal of the University’s leadership. The uproar surrounding Professor Maikudi’s appointment was not unprecedented—similar disputes occurred in 2004, 2009, 2014 (marked by litigation), and 2024. Yet, in previous cases, the government refrained from such drastic action. If this pattern repeats in five years, will the government dismantle the University’s leadership once again?
Minister Alausa, emboldened by his close ties to the President, has overstepped boundaries, sidelining due process and established administrative channels. His high-handed approach, which includes frequent conflicts with senior Ministry officials, is a continuation of his tenure as Minister of State for Health, where similar issues were observed. Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad—a distinguished academic—appears sidelined and unable to assert her authority.
In conclusion, the Tinubu administration has reduced university governance to a troubling farce. The Federal Ministry of Education, under its current leadership, is at the forefront of this erosion of university autonomy. The Nigerian university system—particularly the University of Abuja—must be freed from the grip of this illegal and destructive interference. The time for corrective action is now.
Joseph wrote from Old Kutunku Road, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
