UNIOSUN governance and tenure dispute

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State faced criticism after extending the tenure of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) Vice-Chancellor Clement Adebooye by two years. Civil society groups, such as the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Good Governance, labeled the move illegal, noting that existing university law mandates a five-year term without eligibility for re-appointment. In response, the Osun State House of Assembly began moves to amend the university’s establishment law to provide a legal basis for the extension.

The situation escalated into a dispute between the state government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). ASUU argued that the university’s governance must follow the federal Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 2012, and declared the tenure extension a violation of law. The state government rejected these claims, maintaining that UNIOSUN is governed by its own specific state-enacted Establishment Law. While the government defended its staff welfare record, the Southern Youth Forum called for dialogue to mitigate potential impacts on students.