ASUP Accuses Bayelsa Polytechnic Council of Violating Law in Rector’s Reappointment

ASUP has threatened a South-South and South-East protest over the reappointment of Dr Wisdom Sori as Rector of Bayelsa State Polytechnic.

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Aleibiri chapter, has threatened to mobilise members from polytechnics and other tertiary institutions across the South-South and South-East zones for a peaceful protest in Yenagoa if the reappointment of Dr Wisdom Sori as Rector is not reversed.

The union also accused the Governing Council of Bayelsa State Polytechnic of violating the Bayelsa State Polytechnic Establishment Law 2014 in the process that led to Sori’s reappointment.

The development followed the indefinite withdrawal of services by ASUP, which commenced on Monday, August 10, 2026, after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the institution’s authorities to reverse the appointment.

Speaking with journalists in Yenagoa on Tuesday, ASUP Zonal Coordinator for the South-South/South-East, Dr Richard Illoma, said the union had engaged the state Commissioners for Education, Labour and Information over the dispute.

Illoma said ASUP presented what it described as evidence of procedural violations surrounding the reappointment.

Sori, a former Rector of the polytechnic, reportedly attained the age of 68 and retired in February 2024. His first tenure as Rector ended on June 19, 2026.

The union cited Section 8 of the Bayelsa State Polytechnic Establishment Law, which provides for a renewable four-year tenure for the Rector.

According to ASUP, the reappointment recommendation was vetted by the state Attorney-General and subsequently approved by Governor Douye Diri, who is the Visitor to the institution.

The Governing Council had also highlighted achievements recorded during Sori’s first tenure, including the relocation of the polytechnic to its permanent campus in Aleibiri, execution of TETFund projects and accreditation of more than 10 academic programmes.

However, ASUP rejected the justification, stressing that the dispute was not about Sori’s performance but about compliance with the law governing the appointment of a Rector.

The union alleged that the Governing Council failed to advertise the vacant position, constitute the required Search Team and establish the Joint Council and Academic Board Selection Board before recommending a candidate to the Visitor.

ASUP further argued that the Establishment Law requires the selection process to produce three candidates for consideration by the Visitor.

“Apart from the retired status of the former Rector, which automatically bars him from applying, we make bold to state that Council fell short of the step-by-step procedures outlined in the Polytechnic Establishment Law on how a Rector can be appointed. We make bold to say that the Council failed completely in all these steps, as it never applied any,” the union said.

The union also questioned the alleged backdating of Sori’s reappointment letter to June 21, 2026.

ASUP alleged that the backdating was intended to “erase the academic profile” of the Acting Rector.

The union warned that the continued appointment of a retired Rector could attract sanctions from regulatory and intervention agencies, including the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

ASUP said it would consider further mobilisation across tertiary institutions in the South-South and South-East zones if the authorities fail to reverse the reappointment.

The union’s threatened protest could further escalate the ongoing dispute and disrupt academic and administrative activities at Bayelsa State Polytechnic if no resolution is reached between the union and the institution’s authorities.