Court dissolves Bauchi State University ASUU leadership, orders fresh election

The National Industrial Court, sitting in Gombe, has dissolved the executive council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi State University, Gadau chapter after continuing to remain in office after the expiration of their two-year tenure.

A lecturer in the university, Dr Ibrahim Danjuma had instituted the suit, marked NICN/Bau/05/2022, challenging the respondents for meddling in the electoral process of BASUG chapter of the union; continued stay in office of leaders of the chapter as well as jettisoning of their mandate to conduct an election for the chapter as assigned in congress.

The respondents in the suit are the ASUU National President, Professor Emanuel Osodeke; Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Professor Lawan Abubakar; the chairman, Bauchi State University chapter of the association; Dr Yusuf Musa Yahaya; BASU ASUU excos and the chapter’s electoral committee.

In its judgment, delivered on Thursday, 16th June, 2022, the court ordered the Dr Yahaya-led executive council to leave office on or before 16th August, 2022.

The trial judge, Justice Mustapha Tijjani, further directed the electoral committee to continue with the process of electing a new set of leaders for the union.

Justice Tijjani also restrained the National President of the Union, Professor Osodeke and Bauchi Zone Coordinator of ASUU, Professor Abubakar from further recognising Dr Yahaya and other executive council members as official leaders of ASUU, Bauchi State University, Gadau, chapter.

The judge then warned the national leadership of ASUU against interfering with the electoral process of the union at the university.

Dr Danjuma instituted the suit following the electoral committee’s abandonment of its assignment barely 24 hours before the slated election day.

The committee was alleged to have abandoned the assignment as a result of interference by the national leadership of the union, which was alleged to have been sympathetic to the Dr Yahaya-led executive council of the university.