A brewing crisis now threatens the smooth leadership transition at the Federal University Wukari (FUW) in Taraba State. The carefully planned process for appointing a new Vice-Chancellor has been abruptly suspended, sparking fierce disagreements among the institution's governing council, management, and concerned stakeholders.
Chairman's Directive Halts Appointment Process
The controversy stems directly from a letter dated December 17, 2025. The correspondence was issued by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Iysa Ade Bello, and addressed to the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jude S. Rabo. In the letter, Bello ordered the immediate suspension of the entire exercise to select a new VC.
Prof. Bello claimed his directive was authorized by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa. The letter further announced intentions to appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor once Prof. Rabo's tenure ends in February 2026, pending ministerial approval. It also instructed the freezing of all contract-related payments and put a hold on all Governing Council meetings until further notice.
Stakeholders Reject Unilateral Action, Cite Due Process
The sudden suspension has met with strong opposition. A civil group known as the Taraba State Concerned Citizens has challenged the Pro-Chancellor's move. In a petition to the Education Minister, the group accused Prof. Bello of acting alone to disrupt a process that had already received full Governing Council approval.
Led by Ahmadu Stephen, the group argued that only the full Governing Council can suspend such an appointment process, not its chairman acting unilaterally. They also stressed that, by law, the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor falls under the purview of the University Senate, not the Minister of Education.
The group provided a timeline of the approved process:
- The Governing Council gave initial approval for the appointment of a new VC and University Librarian at its 29th meeting on February 12, 2025.
- The Senate and Congregation later elected their representatives for the selection committees.
- Interview panels for both positions were formally constituted at a council meeting on November 27, 2025, which was chaired by Prof. Bello himself.
- Interviews were scheduled for January 18 to 22, 2026.
The petitioners pointedly asked what could have changed between the meeting on November 27 and the suspension order on December 17 to justify halting the process. They raised serious concerns about potential violations of the federal character principle, alleging that the council chairman had long planned to influence the emergence of a candidate from Nigeria's South-West region.
Vice-Chancellor's Rebuttal and Lingering Questions
In a swift response dated December 18, 2025, Prof. Jude Rabo firmly rejected the allegations of interference leveled against him. He described the claims as misleading, emphasizing that the Governing Council had duly approved every step. Prof. Rabo noted that advertisements for the vacant positions were placed as far back as August 2025.
Expressing surprise, Rabo stated he had received no official query or communication from the Federal Ministry of Education or the National Universities Commission (NUC) regarding any irregularities. He also questioned the logic behind a suspension that targeted only the Vice-Chancellor's appointment while remaining silent on the parallel process for appointing a new University Librarian, which was following the same timeline.
The situation leaves the prestigious institution in a state of uncertainty, with a looming leadership vacuum and a deeply divided community as key stakeholders await decisive intervention from the relevant federal authorities.
