The Civil Society Coalition for Educational Development (CSCED), a 25-member group, has released a comprehensive report on the ongoing leadership crisis at the University of Abuja. After conducting independent investigations into the jostle for the Vice Chancellor (VC) position, the group has called for immediate action from the Ministry of Education.

In a statement, the CSCED expressed deep frustration over the protest by professors at the University of Abuja, which they described as “absurd” and a direct attack on due process. The protest was aimed at opposing the appointment of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as VC, despite her qualifications and her previous role as Deputy Vice Chancellor.

“The protest is nothing more than a sponsored exercise by vested interests, resistant to change. It is an attempt to discredit a capable leader simply because she is a woman, a youth, and a northerner,” the statement read.

The group also criticized the claims of marginalization within the selection process, asserting that there was no evidence to support allegations that southern representatives were excluded from the committee. They condemned the actions of certain council members, calling them a “distraction” and “pettiness taken too far.”

In their report, the CSCED called on President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Education to intervene in the crisis, protect Prof. Maikudi from political pressures, and ensure that those responsible for instigating unrest be held accountable.

The CSCED’s report concluded with a demand for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation panel to address the aftermath of the VC selection process.

Dr. Wisdom Ohalete Chinedu, a spokesperson for the group, urged the Ministry of Education to act decisively to restore order at the University of Abuja, emphasizing that “women have so much to offer in raising the bar of national development.”