Court Halts UNICAL Vice Chancellor Selection Over Legal Dispute

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Calabar has issued a restraining order stopping the University of Calabar (UNICAL) from continuing its ongoing selection process for a new Vice Chancellor to succeed Professor Florence Obi.

The decision, tied to Suit No. NICN/CA/40/2025, was signed and sealed by the university’s registrar, Egba Juliet Peter, and effectively puts a hold on the planned transition of leadership initially scheduled for December 2025.

The case was brought by Professor Joseph Eyo Duke, one of the applicants vying for the position. In his suit, Prof. Duke challenged the validity of a requirement outlined in a May 27 advertisement, which stated that candidates must possess a minimum of ten years of post-professorial experience.

Duke claims the condition is unconstitutional and illegal, arguing that it stemmed from an emergency University Council meeting held on March 25, 2025, without proper legislative backing.

In his ex-parte motion filed on July 21, he requested an interim injunction preventing UNICAL and its Governing Council from implementing the advertisement or continuing the selection process until the motion on notice is determined.

Justice Sanusi Kado, after reviewing arguments from Duke’s legal counsel Ubong Akpan, granted accelerated hearingfor both the main case and the pending motion.

He also transferred the case to Abuja, where it will be heard by a vacation judge, and ordered all parties to maintain the status quo to ensure a fair hearing.

The motion on notice is scheduled for hearing on August 7, 2025, at the Abuja Division of the Industrial Court.

With the restraining order in place, the UNICAL Governing Council must suspend all activities related to the Vice Chancellor selection process until further notice. The development introduces uncertainty into the university’s leadership timeline, with Professor Florence Obi’s tenure nearing its official end.

Observers within the academic community are watching the case closely, as its outcome could set a precedent for how academic appointment standards are interpreted and enforced in Nigerian universities.