The protesters insisted that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had accredited the university’s law programme, questioning why graduates are still being denied admission into the Nigerian Law School.
Law graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Friday staged a peaceful protest at the university’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, accusing the institution of abandoning them and failing to mobilise them for admission into the Nigerian Law School despite years of completing their academic programmes.
The protesters, who carried placards and banners with various inscriptions demanding justice on Friday, called for their immediate admission into the Nigerian Law School, alleging that the university’s failure to carry out its administrative responsibilities has left hundreds of graduates stranded between 2019 and 2026.
Addressing journalists during the demonstration, the National President of the NOUN Law Graduates, Adefowora Adedeji, accused the university’s management of compromising their future and playing politics with the lives of graduates who have fulfilled all academic and administrative requirements.
According to him, the graduates had exhausted all official channels by writing several letters and complying with every administrative procedure, but the university authorities failed to perform their duty of mobilising them to the Nigerian Law School.
“We are law graduates of this university. They have abandoned us,” he said.
“From 2019 to 2026, they refused to do their job. Their job is to ensure that we are mobilized to the Nigerian Law School. They abandoned us.
NOUN GRADUATES
“Professor Olufemi Peters, when he was doing his tenure, he told us that he would solve our problem. He refused to solve our problem. The new vice-chancellor, who is supposed to solve it, instead of solving it, they are playing politics with our lives.
“Many of our law graduates have died in the process, and that is why we are here to express our grievances. We are here because we want to put an end to administrative impunity and administrative arbitrariness. We want to stop this.
“We are not happy because we are not mobilised to the Nigerian Law School.”
The protesters insisted that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had accredited the university’s law programme, questioning why graduates are still being denied admission into the Nigerian Law School.
Adedeji further accused the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ndige, of applying double standards by approving admission for previous sets of NOU law graduates while allegedly rejecting the current batch.
“I am the National President of the NOUN Law Graduates. What we are saying is that under the National Universities Commission (NUC), they have accredited our law programme,” he said.
WATCH: NOUN Law Graduates Protest At University Headquarters Over Failure To Mobilise Them For Nigerian Law School pic.twitter.com/6zpvSloiNt
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) July 10, 2026
“And then, Chief Emeka Ndige, SAN, who is the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, said our mode of education is not recognized. The same chairman gave our seniors, about 1,200 law graduates, admission into the Nigerian Law School. The same man is now rejecting us.
“Many of us are master’s degree holders. Many of us have PhDs in law, and yet they don’t want to accept us into the Nigerian Law School.”
He said the protest was aimed at exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, citing Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We are here to express our constitutional rights. Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says there is freedom of peaceful assembly, peaceful procession and association,” he said.
“Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of expression.”
The protesters also accused the university of breaching its contractual obligation to students by failing to mobilise qualified graduates to the Nigerian Law School after they had completed all necessary requirements.
“Now, the National Open University, because they have refused to do their job, their managerial job, their administrative job and their institutional duty to mobilise us to the Nigerian Law School, they have breached the contract between us and the institution,” he said.
“That is why we are here. We have written many letters, a couple of letters. We have followed all the administrative ordinances, and yet they refuse to do their duty. Therefore, we are here to express our constitutional rights, which is the right to peaceful assembly and peaceful procession.”
Describing the impact of the prolonged delay, the protesters said many graduates had suffered financial hardship, psychological trauma and public embarrassment, while others had reportedly died waiting for admission into the Nigerian Law School.
Quoting Section 34 of the Constitution, which guarantees the dignity of the human person, the National President said the graduates had been stripped of their dignity by the continued denial.
“Section 34 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria mentions freedom of human dignity. We have lost our dignity because of these denials,” he said. “Many of us have died. Many of us have lost financial power. Many of us are passing through psychological pain. Many of us are passing through embarrassment.”
The protesters repeatedly chanted, “Enough is enough,” before reiterating their sole demand.
“Our demand is that we want urgent or immediate admission to the Nigerian Law School,” they said. “We want immediate admission to the Nigerian Law School. We want immediate admission to the Nigerian Law School. Solidarity forever. We will always hold our rights.”
The demonstrators maintained that they would continue to pursue lawful and peaceful means until the authorities address their grievances and facilitate their admission into the Nigerian Law School.
Meanwhile, the law graduates also staged a protest on Wednesday, accusing the Council of Legal Education (CLE) of denying more than 4,000 qualified graduates access to the mandatory Nigerian Law School programme since 2020.
The protesters gathered at the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation in Abuja, calling on the Federal Government to intervene in what they described as years of injustice and exclusion.
The demonstration came two days after the group held a similar protest at the National Assembly.
