The University of Maiduguri chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has launched a fierce backlash against the Federal Government’s decision to rename the institution after former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the move as “ill-conceived, arbitrary, and deeply offensive.”
In a sharply worded statement issued on Friday, ASUU-UNIMAID said it would challenge the decision in court, insisting it amounted to a brazen violation of university autonomy and a “direct affront” to the identity and legacy of the 50-year-old institution.
The resolution followed an emergency congress held on July 24 and attended by lecturers, student representatives, and other stakeholders, where members unanimously demanded the immediate and unconditional reversal of the name change.
“Congress views any attempt to rename the University of Maiduguri — after five decades of esteemed existence — as a flagrant disregard for university autonomy, a disruption of cherished academic traditions, and a direct affront to the collective heritage and identity of the university community,” the statement read.
Jointly signed by the chapter’s chairperson, Abubakar Mshelia, and assistant secretary, Peter Teri, the statement lambasted the renaming as lacking “meaningful consultation with the university community, alumni, relevant stakeholders, and the general public.”
It further criticised the move as evidence of a “troubling disregard for due process and stakeholder engagement in governance.”
ASUU-UNIMAID has now mandated its executive committee to pursue all legal means to block the renaming and preserve what it described as the university’s “historical integrity.”
“The union demands that the autonomy and integrity of public universities must be upheld without political interference,” the statement added.
ASUU also called on its national leadership, zonal chapters, and civil society groups to mobilise opposition against the move, warning the National Assembly not to lend its support to any legislation backing the change.
The Federal Government’s announcement of the renaming has sparked a wider national debate, with critics accusing the administration of politicising academic institutions and prioritising legacy-building over merit and consultation.
While government sources have yet to formally respond to the backlash, the row sets up what could become a defining legal and political confrontation over university governance in Nigeria.
