UNILAG crisis: Vice Chancellor, Governing Council flex muscles – You’re sacked; No, I remain in office

The Governing Council of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, has removed the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe from office.
However, Prof Ogundipe has swiftly responded that the statement announcing his removal is untrue and a figment of the imagination of its author and has, therefore, called on stakeholders of Unilag and the general public to “disregard this mischievous disinformation about the sitting Vice Chancellor of Unilag, contained in that notice. Professor Ogundipe still remains Unilag’s Vice Chancellor.”

A statement by the Registrar of the University, Oladejo Azeez, dated Wednesday, August 12, 2020, had said that the removal of Prof. Ogundipe as Vice Chancellor is with immediate effect.
Azeez, who is also Secretary of the Governing Board, said in the statement that the decision to remove Ogundipe was taken at an Emergency Meeting of the Council held on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 and is in accordance with the statutory powers vested in the Council by Law.
He said further that the decision was based on the Council’s “investigation of acts of wrongdoing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness and abuse of office” against Prof. Ogundipe.
Prof. Ogundipe, in the statement he signed, insisted, however, that he remains the Vice Chancellor of the frontline institution.
The statement reads:
Re: Notice to the General Public on the Removal of the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos by Oladejo Azeez, Esq
The attention of the University of Lagos (Unilag) management has been drawn to the ‘Notice to the General Public on the Removal of the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos’; dated August 12, 2020 and signed by Oladejo Azeez, Esq, Registrar and Secretary to Council, stating that the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS has been removed from office with immediate effect.
This is untrue and a figment of his imagination. Therefore, stakeholders of Unilag and the general public are advised to disregard this mischievous disinformation about the sitting Vice Chancellor of Unilag, contained in that notice. Professor Ogundipe still remains Unilag’s Vice Chancellor.
Thank you.
Signed
Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS
Vice Chancellor, Unilag

The current face-off is said to be the culmination of a running battle between the Vice-Chancellor and the Chairman of the Governing Board, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN that saw the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Unilag Chapter, banning Babalakin from coming into the university.