Murna Opatola Emerges Winner As AUST Holds Council Election
The African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja has elected Mrs Murna Opatola as the congregation representative in the university's council.
Mrs Opatola who is the Associate Director, Operations, beat Mr. Kingsley Ogwudu, manager of the AUSTinspire incubation hub in a hotly contested election held at the AfDB multi-purpose hall, AUST.
Professor Peter Azikiwe Onwualu, President , AUST while welcoming the staff outlined the importance of collective effort in building and expanding the university.
He highlighted that the highest decision-making body of the institution is the Board of Trustees, with representation also drawn from the Governing Council, University Senate, and the Student Council.
Profe. Onwualu further explained that the two major committees—the Senate (comprising full professors and heads of departments) and the Congregation (which involves all academic and non-academic staff)—play a vital role in the governance structure.
“Congregation meetings are not only for elections,” he noted, “but also provide opportunities for introductions, networking, and fostering unity within the university community.”
The council election began with nominations, after which voting was conducted. A total of 49 voters participated, with the following results:
- Mrs. Murna Opatola: 31 votes
- Mr. Kingsley Ogwudu: 16 votes
- Invalid votes: 2
With the majority of the votes, Mrs. Murna Opatola emerged as the winner.
In her acceptance speech, she expressed gratitude to the university community for their confidence in her leadership.
“Thank you for voting for me. I am honored to work for you, with you, and to be the voice of the congregation,” she said
The successful conduct of the council election reflects AUST’s commitment to transparency, inclusiveness, and shared governance.
The university community looks forward to working closely with the newly elected representative to further strengthen academic excellence, institutional growth, and student success.
