Professor Bernard Odoh, who was recently removed as the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, has taken legal action against the Minister of Education, Morufu Alausa. He is seeking a court order to prevent any further steps toward reconstituting the institution’s Governing Council until his case is fully heard and determined.
Chronicles Reporters earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu dissolved the Governing Council of UNIZIK on November 20, 2024. As part of this move, both the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Odoh, and the Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Nwokike, were dismissed from their positions.
However, Odoh, who previously served as the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government, is challenging the legality of his removal.
In an ex-parte motion filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, along with a Motion on Notice, Odoh has also included the acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ifeanyichukwu Ikechebelu, as a defendant. He is asking the court to restrain Ikechebelu from assuming or performing the duties of Acting Vice-Chancellor until the matter is resolved.
The lawsuit, identified as No: FHC/ABJ/CS/82/2025, was filed on January 20, 2025. Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh is listed as the Plaintiff/Applicant, while the Minister of Education, the Federal Ministry of Education, and Prof. Joseph Ifeanyichukwu Ikechebelu are named as the first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
Odoh’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Prof. Chimezie Kingsley Okorie, alongside Eudorah Nkeiruka Ezeonye and C.N. Ukawuike, filed the suit under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, and the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
The reliefs sought by Odoh include:
An interim injunction preventing the first and second defendants or their representatives from reconstituting the university’s Governing Council until the court rules on the Motion on Notice.
An interim injunction stopping the third defendant from assuming or acting as the university’s Vice-Chancellor pending the court’s decision.
An order restricting all defendants from making further decisions regarding the office or appointment of the Vice-Chancellor until the case is determined.
An order restraining the defendants from making any decisions regarding the Governing Council until the Motion on Notice is heard.
In his suit, Odoh argues that the rule of law requires that once a matter is before a court, all parties must refrain from taking any action regarding the subject in dispute until a final judgment is delivered.
He also claims that the first and second defendants have a history of disregarding court processes and that there is an urgent need to prevent them from altering the status quo. Odoh insists that maintaining order is necessary to ensure justice and prevent any form of self-help from the parties involved.
The hearing date for the application is yet to be scheduled.
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