By Our Reporter
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has come under criticism over his decision to extend the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Professor Clement Adebooye, by two years.
The governor announced the extension on Monday, August 31, 2026, during the inauguration of the reconstituted Governing Council of the university at the Government House in Osogbo.
Adeleke said the decision was taken in the interest of continuity and to prevent a leadership vacuum at the institution.
The university, however, disclosed that Adebooye had initially declined the extension before accepting it following further consultations.
The decision has subsequently triggered a debate over whether the governor had the legal authority to extend the tenure under the existing law establishing the university.
The UNIOSUN establishment law provides that the Vice-Chancellor “shall hold office for a term of five (5) years, and shall not be eligible for re-appointment.”
Adebooye assumed office in January 2022, meaning his original five-year tenure is expected to end in January 2027.
Assembly moves to amend UNIOSUN law
The controversy has now reached the Osun State House of Assembly, which has commenced moves to amend the law establishing the university.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, disclosed during plenary on Wednesday that lawmakers had received a letter from Governor Adeleke dated July 27, 2026, requesting an amendment to the university’s establishment law.
The proposed amendment is expected to create a legal framework for the two-year extension of the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure, alongside provisions relating to grants and scholarships for students of the institution.
Egbedun said the proposed legislation would also strengthen public interest in the university and support its continued development.
The bill subsequently passed second reading after lawmakers argued that UNIOSUN had recorded significant development under Adebooye and that retaining him would promote continuity, improve staff welfare and strengthen the university’s academic environment.
Critics question legality of extension
Despite the Assembly’s move, critics have questioned the procedure adopted by the governor, particularly the decision to announce the extension before the proposed amendment to the enabling law had been passed.
An academic, Olatunji Abanikannda, in a commentary titled “The Unlawful Gift: Tenure, Grace, and the Limits of What an Enabling Law Can Give,” argued that the governor could not override a statutory provision through an executive announcement.
Abanikannda maintained that where the law expressly prescribes a five-year tenure without reappointment, any alteration to that provision should be effected through the legislature.
“A term cannot be lengthened by ceremonial announcement any more than it could be shortened by one via executive fiat,” he argued.
He further warned that allowing university tenures to be extended at the discretion of political office holders could weaken university governance and create a precedent for future Visitors to treat statutory provisions as subject to executive discretion.
Omipidan urges VC to reject extension
Media consultant Ismail Omipidan also questioned the decision to amend the law specifically to accommodate Adebooye’s tenure extension.
Omipidan recalled that Adebooye emerged as Vice-Chancellor in 2022 following a competitive selection process under the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
According to him, the process demonstrated the importance of allowing university governance structures to operate on merit and with limited political interference.
He urged Adebooye to reject the extension, arguing that accepting a tenure beyond the five years stipulated by the existing law could expose the Vice-Chancellor to unnecessary controversy.
“Even if Professor Adebooye did not lobby for it, the mere fact that the law is being amended just to allow him to spend seven years in office instead of the five provided for under the existing law should give him serious cause for reflection and walk away,” Omipidan said.
He further warned that the controversy could create tension within the university community and called on stakeholders to protect the integrity and independence of UNIOSUN’s governing framework.
With the proposed amendment now before the Osun State House of Assembly, attention is expected to shift to whether lawmakers will alter the existing tenure provision and provide retrospective legal backing for the governor’s decision.
The development has therefore opened a wider debate over executive powers, legislative authority and the independence of university governance in Osun State.
