From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
The leadership tussle within the University of Ilorin Alumni Association, has taken a legal turn as a faction has approached a Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, to challenge the election of the Professor Kilani AbdulRazak-led executive.
Eight chapter chairmen of the association, representing alumni groups from Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Kogi, Rivers, and Abuja, are demanding the nullification of the 2024 election that brought Professor. AbdulRazak and his team into office.
The association has been embroiled in a leadership crisis for the past four years, leading to its fragmentation into rival factions.
Despite assurances from Prof. AbdulRazak at an award night following last year’s convocation that the crisis had been resolved, the fresh lawsuit suggests otherwise.
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Earlier this year, the Board of Trustees (BoT), of the alumni association, had attempted to broker peace, calling for an end to the disputes.
BoT Chairperson Mrs. Cecilia Cook, expressed concerns over the prolonged rift, stating, “for the purpose of a permanent resolution to the conflict between the opposing parties, the board hereby issues a ceasefire to them, particularly on online platforms, pages of newspapers, and any other platforms that may warrant.”
However, the legal battle intensified when the applicants’ counsel, Afeez Adebayo, told the court on Friday that Prof. AbdulRazak and his executives had been evading service of court documents. Seeking an alternative approach, he urged the court to permit substituted service by pasting the documents at the UNILORIN Alumni Association Secretariat.
Granting the request, Judge H. I. Gegele ruled, “Having found the application meritorious, the application is hereby granted.”
The latest development signals that the leadership crisis within the UNILORIN Alumni Association is far from over, despite previous efforts to mend fences.
