Babcock University has dismissed an online report accusing a Vice-Chancellor aspirant, Afolarin Ojewole, of past sexual misconduct, describing it as “fabricated, baseless” and a deliberate attempt to malign the institution.
The university said the allegation was an effort to undermine the ongoing, transparent process to appoint a successor to outgoing Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ademola Tayo. It stressed that no complaint, disciplinary committee or report exists on the matter, warning that those behind the publication risk legal action if the defamatory claims persist.
Babcock described the online story as a product of “reckless imagination” and a deliberate attempt to smear the character of the Church, the university, and the leadership selection process. The management also dismissed as unfounded the report’s claim that the school was favouring one candidate.
The publication had alleged the university was covering up past sanctions against Ojewole and manipulating the process to favour him, but Babcock said those claims are false and deeply misleading. The institution reminded the public that the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ademola Tayo, will complete his two terms in November, and that the successor is expected to be announced by December 1, 2025, following a rigorous screening exercise.
In a statement signed by Joshua Suleiman, Director of Marketing and Communication, the university said it had received no complaint from any person or group including the so-called “The Apostles Seventh-Day Adventist advocacy group” and its alleged coordinator, Samson Fasasi. It added that Ojewole went on leave in 2018 to travel with his wife to the United States to provide parental support for his children, not because of any scandal. The university stressed that the publication’s claims about prior sanctions are untrue, insisting the phantom committee and the alleged allegations have no basis in fact and calling the story a calculated attempt to sow discord among stakeholders.
The institution emphasised that the University Governing Council’s 2025 Search Committee is operating under strict spiritual, ethical and procedural standards drawn from long-standing Church policies and national laws. It described the appointment process as a “sacred and spiritual exercise” grounded in merit, moral uprightness and service, not politics or lobbying.
Management warned those spreading the falsehoods to desist, saying Babcock reserves the right to seek legal redress to protect its name, the Church and targeted individuals. The institution urged all candidates and supporters to avoid propaganda or tactics that could compromise the integrity of the leadership transition, reaffirming its commitment to a transparent, fair selection process as it prepares to announce a new President/Vice-Chancellor later this year.
