By Waziri Isa Adam
In what looked like a vote of ‘No-Confidence’ on the leadership of the Ahmadu Bello University Branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), members of the union either refused to vote their colleagues or failed to turn out en masse, like their SSANU Counterparts, for the congregation election to vote for the Union’s two anointed candidates, Professor Nasiru Shuaibu and Dr Mustapha Liman, who were selected to represent the Union in the University’s Council.
The Union’s poor outing in the congregation election which took place yesterday, Tuesday, 25th July, 2023, which is seen by many members of the Union as a declaration of vote of ‘No-Confidence’ on the one time ‘Almighty’ Union which, for several years, used to be the only body that decides who goes to the University Council from Congregation, both from amongst it’s colleagues and from its sister union – Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU)
However, the unprecedented poor performance of the union at the congregation election signifies the possible ‘End’ of the union’s past ‘larger-than- life’ influence in the University.
Comrades that spoke with Education Monaitor on the unfortunate fate and future of the union opined that they were not surprised with the outcome of the election, considering the lack of focus, spirit of struggle, laggard and pro-management attitudes of majority of its executive officers who became more of an appendage or mouthpiece of the University Management, at the expense of the union’s overall interest and welfare of its members, despite the Management’s record of abysmal performance and several allegations of of corruption levelled against it.
The Comrades however hoped that the disgrace the union suffered in the congregation election will serve as a wake up call for the union to go back to the drawing board to strategize on how to rescue it from final and irredeemable collapse, by electing principled and selfless leaders that will pilot its affairs and reposition it on a solid foundation.
According to leaked results of the election at the disposal of Education Monitor, Candidates of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Alhaji Aliyu Dalha Kankia and Dr. Musa Ajiya, won the election with 728 and 523 votes respectively.
While the ASUU anointed Candidates – Professor Nasiru Shuaibu, who is the University’s Dean of School of Postgraduate Studies, and Dr Mustspha Liman, one time strongman of the Union in ABU, lost the election with 316 and 374 respectively.