ASUU to Drag FG to Court over UNIMAID Renaming After Buhari

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Maiduguri chapter, has firmly rejected and strongly criticized the Federal Government’s decision to rename the institution after the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, pledging to take legal action against the move.

In a statement released on Friday and jointly signed by the chapter’s Chairperson, Abubakar Mshelia, and Assistant Secretary, Peter Teri, ASUU-UNIMAID said the decision was reached during an emergency congress held on July 24, 2025.

The congress, attended by ASUU members, representatives of the Student Union Government, and other key stakeholders, unanimously called for “the immediate and unconditional reversal” of the renaming.

“After thorough deliberations, the congress resolved to categorically reject and condemn the renaming of the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri,” the statement read.

ASUU maintained that renaming the institution after more than five decades of existence was a blatant violation of university autonomy, a disruption of academic traditions, and an insult to the collective identity of the university community.

The union slammed the decision as “ill-conceived, arbitrary, and lacking in genuine consultation with the university’s internal and external stakeholders, including alumni and the general public.”

It further denounced the move as a “worrying disregard for due process and inclusive governance.”

ASUU-UNIMAID revealed that its executive committee has been directed to pursue all legal options to reverse the renaming and safeguard the university’s original name and identity.

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The union also called on ASUU branches nationwide, including zonal structures and the national body, to lobby the National Assembly, civil society groups, student unions, and other stakeholders to resist any legislative endorsement of the name change.

“The union insists that public university autonomy and integrity must be protected from political interference,” the statement concluded.