University of Lagos Senate members on Monday elected Professor Folashade Ogunsola as the acting Vice Chancellor (VC) of the institution.
135, out of the 167 senate members, voted for Ogunsola, who was Deputy VC Development Services, while the other contestant, DVC Management Services got 31votes.
The federal government had on Friday directed the University’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Wale Babalakin, SAN, and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, to step aside pending the outcome of Special Visitation Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the crisis rocking the institution.
The Babalakin – led Governing Council, had on August 12, announced the removal of Ogundipe as Vice-Chancellor over alleged financial misappropriation and misconduct.
However, Ogundipe, backed by the University’s Senate, alumni and labour unions, rejected the Council’s directive, insisting that due process was not followed.
The new acting VC was the provost of the College of Medicine as well as the Chairman of the National Association of Colleges of Medicine in Nigeria.
She is the principal investigator at AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) at the University of Lagos and has been the chairman of the Infection Control Committee of Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
The seven member Presidential Panel, to be inaugurated on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, is expected to determine whether the Babalakin – led Council followed the due process in the removal of Ogundipe as VC. The panel, which has two weeks to complete it assignment, will recommend appropriate sanction where necessary.