A contender for the Vice-Chancellor position at the University of Calabar (Unical), Prof. Joseph Duke, has demanded the withdrawal of the recent job advertisement, citing violations of constitutional and statutory provisions.

In a legal letter dated June 17, Duke, through his lawyer Ubong Akpan, the UNICAL VC contender threatens lawsuit, accused the university’s governing council of imposing an “illegal” 10-year post-professorial requirement—a significant deviation from Unical’s traditional 5-9-year benchmark and national standards of 5-8 years in first-generation universities.

The letter, addressed to the Pro-Chancellor and copied to the Ministers of Education and Justice, alleged that the council acted without Senate approval or proper statutory backing, violating the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2003. Duke claims the move is a ploy to disqualify certain candidates in favour of a preferred candidate.

He also cited procedural flaws, including lack of quorum, zoning biases, and reliance on “unauthorized federal directives” undermining university autonomy. Despite objections from council members leading to a brief suspension of the advert in April, the contested criteria remained in the final publication.

Duke has given Unical a deadline to withdraw the “defective” advertisement, and reduce the requirement to 6–8 years of professorial experience.m, reconvene the council with a proper quorum and Senate consultation and publish a new advert in compliance with legal guidelines.

Failure to comply, he warned, will result in a lawsuit at the Federal High Court.

The controversy raises concerns over governance standards in Nigeria’s higher education sector. (Nigerian Tribune)