ASUU Rejects Renaming of UNIMAID After Buhari, Demands Immediate Reversal
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) chapter, has issued a strong rejection of President Bola Tinubu’s decision to rename the institution after the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the move as politically motivated, ill-advised, and an affront to the university’s identity and legacy.
OTN News further reports that ASUU who disclosed this in a press statement released on Saturday by the chapter’s chairperson, Dr. Abubakar Mshelia Saidu, called for urgent mobilisation of its members, veterans, and executive leadership to resist what it termed a “brazen affront” to the institution’s 50-year history and academic integrity.
“This action is not merely shocking; it represents a brazen affront to the sanctity of our alma mater, especially given its impending historic 50th anniversary under the globally recognized and deeply cherished ‘Unimaid’ brand,” the statement read.
OTN News recalls that the controversial renaming was announced by President Tinubu on Thursday, July 17, 2025, during an expanded Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, held in honour of Buhari.
The announcement quickly drew criticism from various quarters, including some supporters of the former president, who questioned the necessity of renaming yet another public institution after him, especially in Borno State, where several facilities already bear his name.
ASUU’s statement condemned the decision as a case of political patronage taken too far and warned that the university’s name, built over five decades of resilience and academic service in a region plagued by insecurity, must not be sacrificed for expediency.
“This appalling decree has, understandably, ignited a firestorm of outright rejection across all segments of the community,” the union said. “As ASUU, a principal stakeholder and the unwavering voice of academic integrity and institutional autonomy, our response must be unequivocal, forceful, and commanding.”
The union also highlighted that the matter goes beyond sentiment and must be addressed with intellectual clarity and historical consciousness. ASUU called on its members and alumni to contribute “unvarnished opinions and decisive pronouncements” ahead of a planned Congress and National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
ASUU’s opposition adds to the growing backlash over the decision, which many see as tone-deaf given the existing public discontent with governance and economic hardship.
Critics online have pointed out that while the University of Maiduguri has earned global recognition for operating in one of Nigeria’s most volatile regions, the renaming disregards its institutional achievements and the pride it holds for its alumni and current students.
“The legacy of UNIMAID, painstakingly built for five decades, will not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency,” ASUU emphasized. “We must articulate our adamant opposition and demand the immediate reversal of this ill-conceived and deeply offensive decision.”
Founded in 1975, the University of Maiduguri is one of Nigeria’s leading federal universities and has maintained its academic operations in the face of Boko Haram insurgency and other regional security threats.
What's Your Reaction?
