Court adjourns council crisis suit against UniAbuja VC for judgment

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, adjourned a suit filed against the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Abuja, Prof. Rasheed Na’Allah, for judgment.

Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter for judgment after counsel for the plaintiffs, Maxwell Opara, and Na’Allah’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, adopted their processes and argued their case for and against the suit.

Justice Ekwo, who adjourned the case, said a date for judgment would be communicated to parties.

“If I am unable to give you judgement before vacation, then if 1 have your consent, I can apply for the fiat from the Chief Judge of Federal High Court to deliver the judgement during vacation,” he said.

It was reported that the plaintiffs; Prof. Saint Gbilekaa, Prof. Edmund Nwanna, Prof. Sunday Ejaro, Prof. Kasim Umar, Prof. Wesley Nafarnda and Dr Uju Patrick, had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/683/2024.

The six aggrieved senior lecturers sued the VC; President, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and National Universities Commission (NUC) as 1st to 4th defendants respectively.

In the originating summons, they prayed the court to determine whether having regard to Section 2A, 2 (3) of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2003 (otherwise called the Universities Autonomy Act No. 1, 2007), it is lawful and valid for Na’Allah to arbitrarily call for the conduct of fresh Senate and Congregation council members elections while the last elected members’ four years tenure is still valid and subsisting.

They, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining the VC from taking any steps towards conducting any fresh election for Senate and Congregation Council members until the elapse of the last elected members’ four years tenure which would elapse on July 15, 2025.

However, the plaintiffs alleged that while the matter was still pending before the court, Na’Allah, on May 28 conducted another election for the Governing Council members of the institution.

Against this backdrop, the aggrieved lecturers, through their lawyer, Opara, filed an ex-parte motion to stop the inauguration of the newly elected council members.

In the motion ex-parte dated and filed June 5, they sought seven reliefs, which include an order of interim injunction directing all parties to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the motion on notice.

They also sought an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st defendant (VC) and others from conducting any inauguration of the newly elected internal council members of the university pending the determination of the motion on notice, among other reliefs.

Justice Ekwo had, on June 7, ordered Na’Allah to appear before the court on June 13 to show cause why the planned inauguration should not be stopped.

The VC, through his lawyer, Onoja, in compliance with the order, they filed on June 11, filed an affidavit to show cause dated June 11.

He equally filed a counter affidavit and a notice of preliminary objection urging the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.