The crisis rocking the premier University, the University of Ibadan took a new turn on Wednesday as four members of the Governing Council of the Premier University staged a walkout.

The members included two external members appointed by the federal government Dr Jaju Muhammad and Prof Mande Samaila and two internal members of the council Professor Ademola Aremu and Professor Abel Olorunnisola.

They walked out after about five and a half hour when the meeting had commenced.

Investigation revealed that the members walked out after efforts to ensure that the Council maintain absolute control and act according to the letter from the Federal Government through the National Universities Commission and Federal Ministry of Education which asked the Council to review the entire process including re-inviting shortlisted 18 candidates for the VC position.

An insider in the Council informed our correspondent that the management of the University under Professor Idowu Olayinka has been gagging the Council. Those who walked out of the meeting were protesting undue interference of the management in the Affairs of the Governing Council.

The Reputation of the University Governing Council is being impugned upon by the fact that the Ministry of Education had to intervene in an affair that the Council ought to have handled. 

It was gathered that the Council was discussing the validity of the election being conducted on Wednesday by the outgoing Vice-Chancellor despite the instruction by the Federal Ministry of Education that the Council should take charge.

Investigations revealed that efforts are being made to hurriedly conclude the process and announce the anointed candidate of the outgoing VC, whose tenure expires on November 30 in defiance to the directive from the Federal Ministry of Education.

As at the time of filing this report the results of the election are being counted at the Senate meeting of the University.

Available information on the University of Ibadan website, however, showed that no fewer than four acting Vice-Chancellors had been appointed in the past as an internal mechanism out in place to fill the vacuum in the position of Vice-Chancellor.