Lecturers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, have raised alarm over what they describe as an emerging governance crisis, urging the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to immediately enforce a National Industrial Court judgment reinstating Prof. Benard Ifeanyi Odoh as the legitimate Vice Chancellor of the institution.
The protest, championed by a body known as the Concerned Lecturers of UNIZIK and led by Prof. Anthony Chukwudi Okoye, comes weeks after the court delivered a decisive ruling validating Prof. Odoh’s appointment and dismissing allegations that he was unqualified for the office.
In a petition to the Minister, the lecturers said the persistent refusal of the university’s management and Governing Council to implement the binding judgment amounts to “a direct assault on the rule of law” and risks plunging UNIZIK into deeper institutional instability.
They argued that the administration’s stance reflects a “conscious provocation and escalation of conflict with the rule of law,” especially after the court had repeatedly restrained the University from initiating a fresh selection process for a Vice Chancellor.
Despite multiple court orders, the Governing Council went ahead to advertise the position on September 13 and 16, 2025, and reportedly scheduled interviews and selection processes for November 11, actions the lecturers say violate active litigation and subsisting judicial directives.
The National Industrial Court, in a ruling by Hon. Justice E.D. Subilim, held that Prof. Odoh was lawfully evaluated and promoted to the rank of Full Professor with effect from October 1, 2015, by a duly constituted panel at the Federal University of Gusau.
The court further declared his appointment as UNIZIK’s Vice Chancellor valid and dismissed allegations of ineligibility as baseless.
Justice Subilim ordered the full restoration of Odoh’s rights, privileges, and entitlements and directed the Federal University of Gusau to issue him a public apology in a national newspaper. He also awarded N5 million in damages for what the court described as unlawful interference with his statutory entitlements.
“A Looming Crisis,” Lecturers Warn
In their petition titled “Urgent Appeal to Uphold Due Process in the Appointment of Vice Chancellor and Save Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, from Looming Crisis,” the lecturers warned that continued defiance of court orders could lead to a protracted legal and administrative breakdown.
They argued that any appointment process undertaken while Odoh’s tenure remains legally valid would expose the university to future litigation and nullification of decisions made under what they termed “unlawfully constituted leadership.”
Quoting key judicial precedents, including the Supreme Court’s stance in Attorney General of Lagos State vs Attorney General of the Federation (2003), the petitioners emphasized that “court orders are not made in vain” and must be obeyed to sustain constitutional governance.
The lecturers urged the Minister of Education to halt what they described as an “illegal appointment process” and to direct the university’s Governing Council to comply fully with the court’s ruling reinstating Prof. Odoh.
They stressed that under Nigerian law, judgments remain binding until duly set aside, insisting that allowing the university to pick and choose which orders to obey poses a dangerous precedent not just for UNIZIK but for the integrity of the nation’s tertiary education system.
According to the petitioners, the only lawful route is the recognition of Odoh’s subsisting tenure and the appointment of an acting Vice Chancellor only upon its expiration.
UNIZIK, they concluded, should remain “a bastion of justice, due process, and constitutional integrity,” not a symbol of impunity.
