By Mahdi Waziri Isa
Three senior academics from the Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) have filed a lawsuit at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, seeking to stop the ongoing selection process for the institution’s new Vice-Chancellor.
The plaintiffs—Prof. Ahmad Galadima, a two-time Deputy Vice-Chancellor; Prof. Ibrahim Garba Zurmi, a Professor of Microbiology; and Dr. Anas Sani Anka—are challenging the legality of a key requirement in the appointment advert.
In the suit, they name the University’s Governing Council, its Chairman Hon. Engr Aminu Sani Isa, the Registrar Mrs. Nafisa Sulaiman Barau, and the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mu’azu Abubakar Gusau, as respondents.
The claimants have requested an order of interim injunction to halt the selection process, arguing that the requirement for applicants to possess a minimum of ten years of post-Professorial experience, as stated in the August 25, 2025 advertisement, lacks a legal basis. They contend that neither the University’s Miscellaneous Act nor any other statutes empower the Governing Council to impose such a condition.
To support their case, the academics presented adverts for the Vice-Chancellor position from other federal universities—UDUS, FUDMA, and FUT Minna—which do not carry the same requirement, labeling the FUGUS council’s decision an “illegality.”
The suit also seeks a declaration that the resolution leading to the controversial advert was illegal, as two individuals not recognized by law were allegedly allowed to participate in the council meeting where the decision was made.
Furthermore, the plaintiffs allege that the university management, led by Prof. Mu’azu, deliberately failed to ensure a proper university law was in place to facilitate a plan to exclude certain qualified candidates from the race.
Parties are scheduled to appear before the court on November 14, 2025, to argue the motion for an injunction, after which a date will be set for the hearing of the substantive suit.