The National Industrial Court in Kano has dismissed an application seeking to block the appointment and inauguration of Professor Ahmad Muhammed Gumel as the 4th Substantive Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Dutse.

Presiding Judge, Justice Mahmoud Abba Namtari, delivered the ruling on Monday, refusing the interlocutory injunction sought by Professor Abdussalam Balarebe Suleiman through his counsel. The applicant had approached the court in a bid to stop the university from inaugurating its new VC.

In his ruling, Justice Namtari stated that the balance of convenience was in favour of not granting the application, adding that doing so would amount to delving into the substantive matter before the court.

Following the ruling, Barrister Shamsi Ubale Jibril, counsel to the university, informed the court that he had filed two applications: one seeking to strike out 22 individuals joined in the suit, and another to determine whether the National Industrial Court has jurisdiction to hear the matter.

The court granted the request for time to file further affidavits and counter-affidavits served on February 23, 2026, and adjourned the case to April 13, 2026, for the hearing of the defendants' applications.

The development paves the way for the university to proceed with the formal inauguration of Professor Gumel as the new Vice-Chancellor.