TIB Condemns Adeleke’s Two-Year Extension Of UNIOSUN Vice-Chancellor’s Tenure

The Take It Back Movement (TIB), Osun State Chapter, has condemned Governor Ademola Adeleke’s approval of a two-year tenure extension for the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Prof. Clement Adebooye, describing the decision as an abuse of the law establishing the institution.

The Osun State Coordinator of TIB, Comrade Victor Abiodun Lijofi, made the position known in a statement issued on Friday, accusing the governor of disregarding statutory provisions governing the university.

Adebooye assumed office as Vice-Chancellor in January 2022 and is expected to complete his initial five-year tenure in January 2027. However, Adeleke has approved a two-year extension that would keep him in office until January 2029.

“Someone should tell Governor Adeleke that this is an abuse of the establishment act of the university and it is not acceptable,” Lijofi said.

The TIB coordinator also criticised the political class, accusing successive Nigerian governments of placing political considerations above the laws governing public institutions.

“Governor Adeleke keeps showing that there is no difference between the Nigerian ruling class organised in any political party,” he added.

The controversy followed Adeleke’s dissolution and reconstitution of the university’s Governing Council on Friday, August 28, 2026. The governor said the move was aimed at strengthening the institution’s governance structure and ensuring continuity in its administration.

Following the inauguration of the new council at the Osun State Government House in Osogbo, Adeleke approved the extension of Adebooye’s tenure.

According to a statement issued by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji, the governor said the extension was necessary to maintain stability and prevent an administrative vacuum at the institution.

However, the decision has sparked criticism among sections of the university community, with critics questioning its compatibility with the provisions of the Osun State University (Establishment) Law, 2006.

The law provides in the First Schedule that the Vice-Chancellor shall be appointed or removed by the Visitor after consultation with the Council, while the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor “shall be one term of five years.”

The provision has raised questions over whether the governor, in his capacity as Visitor, has the authority to extend the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure beyond the single five-year term stipulated by the law.

Critics have also questioned why the statutory process for appointing a successor was not commenced ahead of the expiration of Adebooye’s tenure in January 2027.

Under Paragraph 5 of the First Schedule, the Governing Council is required to advertise the vacancy in a reputable journal or widely read newspaper in Nigeria, specifying the qualifications, qualities, terms and conditions of service expected of applicants.

The Council is then expected to shortlist suitable candidates for consideration.

Some members of the university community have therefore questioned the decision to extend the incumbent Vice-Chancellor’s tenure rather than begin the statutory process for selecting a successor.

A source within the university said the development had generated anger on campus, particularly following the simultaneous dissolution of the previous Governing Council.

“There is anger on campus regarding the extension of tenure of the Vice Chancellor while other council members were sacked,” the source said.

A former UNIOSUN Alumni executive also questioned the legality of the extension, insisting that decisions concerning the university should comply with its establishing law.

“There is a law that established the University, any action that ought to be taken should be taken in cognizance of the law but this is not the case in the instance of the extension,” the former alumni executive said.

Another staff member alleged that the extension may have been politically motivated.

“They are using the extension as compensation for loyalty but that’s not what the law says,” the staff member alleged.

The controversy has placed Adeleke’s decision under increased scrutiny, with critics demanding clarification on the legal basis for extending Adebooye’s tenure from five years to seven years.

At the centre of the dispute is the interpretation of the Visitor’s powers under the 2006 Establishment Law and whether those powers permit the governor to extend a Vice-Chancellor’s tenure beyond the single five-year term prescribed by the legislation.

TIB described the development as part of what it called a wider pattern in which political considerations allegedly take precedence over statutory rules governing public institutions.

Lijofi called for greater respect for laws establishing public institutions, arguing that public officials should avoid actions capable of undermining statutory procedures, institutional independence and accountability.

The controversy continues to generate debate among members of the university community and other stakeholders over whether the two-year extension complies with the Osun State University (Establishment) Law, 2006.