A group of legal professionals has taken the University of Benin (UNIBEN) to court, demanding the removal of its current Vice Chancellor, Professor Edoba Omoregie, SAN.

The group, known as the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja. They are also asking the court to order the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, to sack Omoregie and replace him with the candidate who scored highest in the university’s selection exam for the position.

Professor Omoregie, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and member of UNIBEN’s Faculty of Law, became the 11th substantive Vice Chancellor of the university in December 2014.

However, ALDRAP alleges that his appointment was marred by irregularities and should be declared invalid. The suit, filed by their lawyer, Timothy Tersugh Ahua, challenges the process that led to Omoregie’s emergence and insists the rightful candidate — who scored highest during the selection process — should take the seat.

This legal move has sparked discussions around transparency and fairness in appointing heads of academic institutions, with many awaiting the court’s decision to see how the matter unfolds.