Leadership crisis brews at UNICAL as Pro-Chancellor, VC clash over succession rules

A serious dispute is reportedly unfolding at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) between Pro-Chancellor DIG Udom Ekpo-Udom (rtd) and Vice Chancellor Prof. Florence Obi, as tensions mount over alleged attempts to manipulate the succession process ahead of Obi’s exit in November 2025.

At the heart of the controversy is a new eligibility rule reportedly introduced by the outgoing Vice Chancellor, which requires aspirants for the top job to have held the rank of professor for at least 10 years. This marks a significant increase from the customary five to six years and has sparked immediate resistance within the university’s Governing Council.

Sources say Ekpo-Udom is firmly opposed to the change, describing it as “arbitrary and exclusionary,” while others within the Council believe it is an attempt to sideline credible candidates deemed unfavourable to Prof. Obi.

“This is yet another hurdle being placed to eliminate credible and well-qualified candidates from the race in a federal university,” said a Council insider who requested anonymity.

The matter has reportedly been escalated to the Federal Ministry of Education, with critics noting that there is no legal precedent or national policy supporting a 10-year professorial requirement for VC aspirants.

Mr. Benjamin Amon, a respected university stakeholder, called the move “unfair and legally questionable,” emphasizing that the Ministry has not issued or endorsed such a guideline.

Adding to the controversy are unconfirmed reports of an attempt to zone the Vice Chancellorship, a method not traditionally linked to UNICAL’s selection process.

In response to the uproar, Ekpo-Udom has publicly distanced himself from the proposal, reaffirming his commitment to fairness, merit, and due process in choosing Obi’s successor.

However, insiders aligned with Prof. Obi argue that the 10-year benchmark is not entirely new, pointing to past efforts to formalize the requirement.

Observers now fear that if the dispute is not swiftly resolved, it could lead to legal battles, division within the Governing Council, and destabilize the university’s transition process.

Notably, in most of Nigeria’s first-generation universities, the average post-professorial experience required for Vice Chancellor candidates is typically between six and eight years, making the UNICAL proposal unusually stringent.