By CHIMEZIE ANASO

Prof. Chike Osegbue, one of the seven contenders for the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) Vice Chancellor position, has prayed the National Industrial Court of Nigeria to declare the appointment of Prof. Kate Omenugha as illegal and void.

Osegbue in the suit with no: NICN/ARJ/275/2025 , prayed the court to declare him the substantive Vice Chancellor of COOU on the grounds that he was the first of the three candidates recommended by the Governing Council of the university.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Prof. Chukwuma Soludo who is the visitor of the institution on Aug. 6 appointed Omenugha as the substantive VC following the conclusion of the selection process.

The selection process was conducted by a joint committee University Council and Senate representative, under the chairmanship of Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, the Pro-chancellor

The six defendants in the matter are the Governor of Anambra, the Attorney- General of Anambra, Prof. Odinkalu and Chairman of Council, the Council of COOU, COOU and Omenugha.

Osegbue claimed that the appointment of Omenugha was against the Law of COOU which provides that the candidate with the highest score should be appointed or the second or third placed candidates on the recommendation of the council.

In the suit, he said that the appointment of Omenugha by Soludo was in defiance to Ordinance II (4) (d), and Statute VI (1) of the 1 Schedule to the COOU Law 2014 and was therefore illegal, absurd, arbitrary, condemnable and wrongful.

Osegbue prayed the court to determine whether the governor could exercise such unbridled whimsical and or untrammeled powers to arbitrarily and unlawfully refuse, fail, ignore and or neglect the recommendation of the council in the appointment of the VC.

He also prayed the court to determine whether the governor has legal authority to go outside the recommendation of the Council of COOU to appoint the Omenugha as VC in gross violation of the University Law of 2014.

Osegbue prayed for a declaration that the purported appointment of Omenugha as VC, was null, void and of no effect in that is contrary to and done in violation of Ordinance 11 (4) (d), read together with Statute VI (I) of the I Schedule to COOU Law 2014.

No date has been fixed for the matter. (NAN)