The National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ekiti State chapter, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate suspension of the ongoing Vice-Chancellorship process in the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
The petition was titled: “Petition against ongoing administrative manipulation, corruption and abuse of due process in the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor at the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).”
The NYCN said to be representing the collective voice and future of Nigerian students and youth appealed to President Tinubu who is also the Visitor to FUOYE to turn his attention to “the grave irregularities, corruption, and coordinated administrative abuse” in FUOYE.
The petition which was jointly signed by the NYCN Ekiti State Chapter Chairman, Amb. James Bankole and its General Secretary, Oluwanifemi Olawale said FUOYE has “fallen into administrative darkness under the combined manipulation” of the Governing Council’s Chairman, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina.
The NYCN urged the President to take a “firm, decisive and transparent actions” to save FUOYE from “total institutional collapse.”
The NYCN lamented that the new Vice-Chancellor selection process “was designed to produce a predetermined” and preferred candidate of the Council Chairman and the outgoing VC in person of Prof. Joshua Ogunwole.
They stated the Council shrunk the whole selection process to two weeks, from Thursday 23rd October to Thursday 6th November, 2025, a timeframe they said was too short the selection committee to produce a credible candidate from the over 100 applicants.
They said such selection process in other Federal institutions take between six to eight weeks to complete.
The NYCN leadership lamented that FUOYE has in recent years become the “epicentre of disturbing governance decay.”
They alleged that with their “the toxic alliance” Senator Ndoma-Egba and Prof. Fasina has turned the university into a “personal empire, weaponizing the Governing Council for self enrichment, manipulation and the cover-up of corrupt acts.
The NYCN alleged that the Council Chairman has jettisoned due process and accountability for “corruption, impunity and reckless abuse of power” at the University.
Allegation of “calculated conspiracy to loot, conceal and perpetuate illegality” were levelled against the Senator of the VC.
They frowned at the fact that the Governing Council Chairman has relocated all council and committees meetings to Abuja since assuming office as against ministerial directive that such meetings should be held within the university campus.
They described such a decision as misuse of public funds which could have been used to fund accreditation exercises.
Among the corruption allegations was the approval of ₦128 million “Research leave” by the Vice-Chancellor for himself with the approval of the Council Chairman.
The petition also alleged the acquisition of a ₦700 million property in Ilupeju-Ekiti, an acquisition they said was grossly inflated at a time when staff welfare was deteriorating, disregard for institution’s accreditation need and with a crashing of FUOYE’s Internally Generated Revenue from ₦2 billion to under ₦50 million.
The petition also frowned at the deliberate suppression of a sex allegation level by one Engr. Folashade Adebayo against the outgoing VC among other sexual cover-ups.
“Our comprehensive findings have exposed a long-standing culture of sexual predation, intimidation and cover-ups within the institution.
“These are not isolated incidents; they are systemic, normalised abuses of power.”
The petition calls for immediate suspension of Prof. Fasina pending investigation, constitution of independent panel to investigate all sexual harassment allegations, immediate removal of Senator Ndoma-Egba as Chairman Governing Council, suspension of all current activities of committee relating to the vice chancellor selection process, comprehensive audit of FUOYE’s Finances among others.
Included on the petition list were the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, Minister of Youth Development, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) among others.
