UNIMAID ASUU Rejects Renaming University After Buhari
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) chapter, has strongly rejected President Bola Tinubu’s move to rename the institution after the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement released Saturday, ASUU UNIMAID Chairperson, Dr. Abubakar Mshelia Saidu, described the decision as “politically motivated,” calling it a “brazen affront” to the university’s legacy, history, and academic integrity.
The renaming, announced at a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on July 17 in Buhari’s honour, has drawn widespread criticism both within and outside the university. The union is now mobilising its Congress, veterans, and extended executive council to resist the move.
“This action is not merely shocking; it desecrates the sanctity of our alma mater,” the union said, especially as the university prepares to mark its 50th anniversary under the widely respected ‘UNIMAID’ identity.
ASUU warned that the decision amounts to sacrificing the institution’s hard-earned reputation for political patronage. The statement also noted that public outr+ge is mounting, and ASUU’s response would be “unequivocal, forceful, and commanding.”
Calling for collective resistance, the union emphasized that it will respond intellectually and factually, urging members and the public to contribute views ahead of upcoming deliberations.
“We must articulate our adamant opposition and demand the immediate reversal of this ill-conceived and deeply offensive decision,” the union declared.
Founded in 1975, UNIMAID is a leading federal university in Nigeria, praised for maintaining academic excellence despite ongoing insecurity in the North-East. Critics argue that Buhari already has multiple public institutions named after him, especially in Borno State, making this latest move unnecessary and divisive.