REVEALED: The Controversy surrounding University of Maiduguri’s Renaming

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The renaming of the University of Maiduguri after late former President Muhammadu Buhari has sparked heated debates among Nigerians, including residents of Borno State, where the university is located. Some analysts have questioned the legality of the institution’s renaming by President Bola Tinubu without consultation with the National Assembly.

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Maxwell Opara, a lawyer and public analyst, said, “From the legal aspect, there is an act that established the University of Maiduguri, the University of Maiduguri Act. Now the president has, without consultation and without considering the opinions of certain people, renamed the university after Muhammadu Buhari.”

Austin Maho, a lecturer with the International Institute of Journalism, added, “We are a nation that is based on the rule of law. There should be a process of naming institutions after an individual so that the process is transparent.

A petition on social media demanding a reversal of the renaming has gathered over 7,500 signatories. The petitioners argue that renaming the University of Maiduguri does not align with the sentiments of its core stakeholders and the enduring identity the institution has built over the decades.

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The petition read, “The name ‘University of Maiduguri’ resonates deeply with the people it serves and reflects the institution’s strategic importance in national development, peacebuilding, and intellectual advancement in Northern Nigeria… We respectfully request Your Excellency to reconsider and reverse the renaming of the University of Maiduguri.”

However, many people in Borno State support the new name, describing it as appropriate for the late president’s role in restoring relative peace to the state during his administration and for being the son of a Borno woman.

The controversy surrounding the renaming of the University of Maiduguri highlights the complexities of honoring national figures while respecting the identity and autonomy of institutions

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