ASUU Condemns Isa Yuguda, Demands His Resignation Over Alleged Threats to ATBU Professors and University Autonomy

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) branch, has issued a strong condemnation of former Bauchi State Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, over what it described as threats, intimidation, and contempt for university autonomy during a recent National Assembly public hearing on a bill seeking to alter ATBU’s mandate.

In a press release signed by the Chairperson of ASUU-ATBU, Comrade Angulu Haruna, the union said it was “stunned” by Yuguda’s comments at the hearing, where he reportedly declared that anyone opposed to the bill to convert ATBU from a technology-based university into a conventional university was a “criminal.”

ASUU said the former governor also verbally attacked professors who spoke against the bill, questioning their legitimacy and dismissing their professional standing, a move the union said amounted to a direct assault on the academic community and the principle of university autonomy.

The union further expressed concern that Yuguda, who currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), showed what it described as “total disregard” for the academic profession and the legal framework governing Nigerian universities.

ASUU also accused Yuguda of misrepresenting his role in the establishment of ATBU’s College of Medical Sciences. According to the union, the college had already been approved and initiated before his intervention as governor, and that the Bauchi State Government had transferred the former State Specialist Hospital to the Federal Government in exchange for compensation, which his administration later used to develop other state facilities.

The union equally condemned comments made by Alhaji Ladan Salihu, a former Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), who allegedly released a video message after the hearing accusing the ATBU management and the National Universities Commission (NUC) of being enemies of Bauchi State for opposing the bill.

ASUU said both Yuguda and Salihu acted in a manner that was “reckless, unlawful, and dangerous,” especially against university administrators and professors who were merely exercising their constitutional right to participate in a legislative process.

The union called on federal and state authorities to intervene immediately to prevent the situation from escalating and to protect the safety and independence of ATBU and its staff.

ASUU specifically urged the following authorities to act:

• The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC)
• The Minister of Education
• The Governor of Bauchi State
• The President of Nigeria, in his capacity as Visitor to the university

The union demanded that Malam Isa Yuguda publicly withdraw his statements and resign as Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria, arguing that he could not oversee a university system he allegedly holds in contempt.

ASUU warned that failure to address what it called growing threats to academic freedom and university autonomy could have serious consequences for Nigeria’s higher education system and national stability.