UNIAbuja Crisis: 77% of New Appointees Are Christians, Muslims Marginalized
The University of Abuja—recently renamed Yakubu Gowon University by President Bola Tinubu—is facing controversy over the appointment of 57 senior officials by the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Patricia Manko Lar.
Concerns have emerged within the university community, with staff members accusing the Acting Vice-Chancellor of bias in the selection process.
The appointments, which include directors and heads of key units, are alleged to disproportionately favor one religious group, raising fears of deepening sectarian and ethnic divisions on campus.
Documents and information from internal university sources reveal that 44 of the appointees—approximately 77.2%—are Christians, while only 13 (22.8%) are Muslims. No individuals from the North-West geopolitical zone or of Hausa-Fulani origin are reportedly among the newly appointed officials.
These claims, made by concerned staff members who requested anonymity, have heightened tensions across the university. Critics further allege that all Muslim members of the university’s management were removed and replaced by Christians, raising questions about religious balance in the institution’s leadership structure.
Adding to the controversy, some of the new appointees are reportedly linked to an internal faction known as the “G43”—a group said to be opposed to the leadership of former Vice-Chancellors Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah and Professor Aisha Maikudi.
There are also allegations that some individuals on the appointment list either lack the requisite qualifications or have previously underperformed in administrative roles.
“It is both strange and inexplicable that someone with less than four months remaining in her acting tenure would implement such sweeping changes. It seems to be driven by a specific agenda,” a senior staff member said.
He added: “A director of one of the university’s key centers was removed just weeks after assuming office, despite prior caution from TETFund—the federal agency funding the center. Another director, a top-performing administrator from Niger State who recently won an international award, was also removed. The implications of these decisions are alarming.”
“The university is at risk of becoming a theater for religious bigotry and administrative chaos. The federal government must intervene before the situation deteriorates further,” the source warned.
Representatives of the alumni association and indigenous groups from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed disappointment over what they describe as exclusionary practices. They lamented the absence of FCT indigenes from the new appointments—even in a newly created special center meant to cater to their interests, which is now headed by an individual neither indigenous to the FCT nor long affiliated with the university.
Efforts to obtain official responses from the university’s spokesperson and Professor Lar were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Sources close to the Acting VC defended the appointments, claiming they were based on merit.
As discontent brews, stakeholders are calling for a review of the appointment process to ensure fairness and inclusivity.
With tensions mounting, attention now shifts to the federal government and the university’s governing council, who are being urged to act swiftly to prevent a deeper crisis.
PRNigeria
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