Some professors at the University of Abuja have rejected Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi as the institution’s new substantive Vice-Chancellor.
Operating under the banner of the Concerned Academic Stakeholders, the professors claimed that the appointment violated the published eligibility criteria, particularly the requirement that candidates must hold a PhD.

They, therefore, urged the Governing Council to uphold the advertised standards for the VC position, insisting that the role should be filled by a candidate with a PhD rather than an individual whose qualification is based on a fellowship. 

Specifically, the dons called on the Governing Council to “correct the present anomaly through elevation of the fully qualified, non-controversial candidate from the existing shortlist.” 

Recall that the Governing Council last month announced Professor Fawehinmi as the substantive VC, with his five-year tenure commencing on February 10, 2026. 

In a report titled, “An Academic Analysis of the Substantive Vice-Chancellor Appointment at the University of Abuja: Legal Compliance, Institutional Precedent, and Governance Implications,” the eggheads drew a clear distinction between academic doctorates and professional fellowships, stressing that Nigerian courts have consistently held that a medical or professional fellowship does not substitute for a PhD in academic leadership roles. 

The report argued that while fellowships reflect advanced professional competence, they do not certify the research expertise, scholarly contribution, or cross-disciplinary leadership capacity expected of a Vice-Chancellor. 

They warned that substituting one for the other amounts to both an academic misclassification and a breach of established regulatory standards.

The academics who signed the report include Prof. Oluwaseun Livingstone Fayose (Faculty of Law); Prof. Fatima Ribadu (Faculty of Social Science); Prof. Folake Agnes Ige (Faculty of Arts); Prof. Khalid Ibrahim Musa (Faculty of Sciences); Prof. Ibinabo Hart (Faculty of Management Science), and Prof. Sambo Ishaq (Faculty of Education). 

According to them, university leadership appointments in Nigeria are regulated by a strict framework that includes the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, National Universities Commission (NUC) guidelines, and each institution’s internal governance policies.

The report noted that the advertised possession of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is not a discretionary preference but a mandatory baseline that aligned with existing laws and national academic norms.