Babcock University has strongly refuted reports linking its former Associate Vice President for Spiritual Life, Pastor Afolarin Ojewole, to an alleged sexual scandal, dismissing the claims as fabricated and malicious.
The institution described the publication as nothing more than “cheap blackmail” designed to tarnish the image of the university, its leadership process, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The controversy surfaced after an online platform alleged that Ojewole, despite being accused of infidelity with a student in the past, was being favoured as a top contender in the ongoing race to succeed the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Ademola Tayo.
Professor Tayo, who has served for two terms spanning ten years, is expected to complete his tenure in November 2025, with a new Vice Chancellor due to be announced on December 1. About seven senior professors are reportedly in the race for the position.
In a statement signed by Joshua Suleiman, Director of Marketing and Communication, Babcock University dismissed the report as “reckless imagination” and “a calculated attempt to malign the credibility of the university’s leadership transition.”
The statement stressed that the institution had never received any official complaint or petition from individuals or groups, including the so-called “Apostles Seventh-Day Adventist Advocacy Group” or its alleged coordinator, Samson Fasasi.
Suleiman further clarified that Ojewole had voluntarily left the university in 2018 to relocate to the United States with his family for parental support, not because of any disciplinary issue.
“The claims are completely false. At no time was Pastor Ojewole investigated or sanctioned for sexual misconduct,” Suleiman stated.
“The publication is nothing but mischief aimed at undermining the integrity of Babcock University.”
He emphasized that the 2025 Search Committee set up by the University Governing Council to appoint the next Vice Chancellor operates under “the highest spiritual, ethical, and procedural standards,” in line with long-standing Seventh-day Adventist principles.
Babcock further stressed that the process of appointing a Vice Chancellor is neither political nor influenced by lobbying.
Candidates, it said, are assessed strictly based on merit, moral uprightness, intellectual capacity, spiritual values, and service to humanity.
“It is impossible for a single individual to manipulate this process,” the statement read. “Any suggestion that the outgoing Vice Chancellor amended university laws to favour a successor is completely false and malicious.”
The university also issued a stern warning to those behind the defamatory reports, vowing to seek legal redress if such acts continue.
“Babcock University reserves the right to take legal action against any attempt to damage its reputation or malign its officials,” the statement cautioned.
Calling for restraint among stakeholders, the institution urged all candidates and their supporters to avoid divisive tactics. It reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a fair and transparent leadership transition.
“The process of leadership succession in Babcock University remains sacred,” Suleiman said. “It must never be tainted by propaganda, falsehood, or blackmail.”