The crisis at the Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN), Delta State, escalated on Thursday with the resignation of the Chairman of the Governing Council and Pro-Chancellor, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba (retd.), in response to the Federal Government’s decision to appoint a candidate who ranked second in the selection process as Vice-Chancellor.
Ezeoba’s departure followed the reversal of an earlier decision by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who had initially confirmed the appointment of Prof. Lucian Chukwu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, as ADUN’s substantive VC. However, in a surprising shift, the ministry later announced Prof. Christopher Ogbogbo, a Professor of History at the University of Ibadan, as the new VC instead.
Controversial Selection Process and Government Reversal
The selection process, supervised by the governing council with the assistance of KPMG, saw Chukwu emerge as the top candidate with a score of 83.41 per cent, while Ogbogbo secured 72.5 per cent, and the third candidate, Prof. Ijeoma Ijeh, scored 69.16 per cent.
Despite Chukwu’s leading score, the university’s registrar, Isaac Mankilik, declared Ogbogbo as the selected candidate, citing his support from nine out of 15 governing council members in an extraordinary meeting. This move met resistance from Ezeoba, who insisted that Chukwu’s selection was based on merit and due process.
The Ministry of Education initially affirmed Chukwu’s appointment last Friday but later reversed its stance, stating that a review of the selection process and ministerial intervention had confirmed Ogbogbo as the rightful choice. A statement from the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, defended the decision, asserting that the appointment adhered to the provisions of the Admiralty University of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2022.
Pro-Chancellor’s Resignation and Institutional Defense
Ezeoba resigned in protest, alleging external influence in the selection process and claiming that a high-ranking Navy officer had worked with some council members to favor Ogbogbo’s candidacy. He decried what he saw as a disregard for merit and transparency.
In response, ADUN maintained that the selection process complied with all legal and procedural requirements. A statement signed by Registrar Mankilik emphasized that the appointment of a VC was determined by selection rather than a strict ranking system. According to the university, the governing council had the legal authority to choose any of the three shortlisted candidates, as outlined in Section 4(1), subsections 5 and 6 of the ADUN Act 2022.
