The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has elected Professor Chris Piwuna, a renowned psychiatrist and academic from the University of Jos, as its new national president.
Piwuna, who previously served as ASUU’s National Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Jos, emerged victorious during the union’s 23rd National Delegates Congress, held on Sunday at the University of Benin, Edo State. He succeeds Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, whose tenure concluded on May 11, 2025.
Sources confirmed that the closely contested election pitted Piwuna against Professor Adamu Babayo of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
Leadership Change at a Critical Time
Piwuna assumes office at a pivotal moment, with renewed tensions over the Federal Government’s disbursement of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), mounting concerns over massive brain drain, and ongoing debates surrounding the autonomy and funding of public universities. Analysts suggest his leadership could determine whether the union will pursue another round of industrial action.
New National Executives Emerge
Joining Piwuna in the newly elected national executive are:
Austen Sado – Vice President
Happiness Uduk – Financial Secretary
Peter Adamu – Treasurer
Celestine Aguoru – Investment Secretary
Aisha Bawa – Welfare Officer
Kassim Umar – Internal Auditor
Osodeke’s Legacy and Controversial Tenure
Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who first assumed office on May 30, 2021, was re-elected for a second term in 2023 at the 22nd Delegates Conference in Jos. His leadership was marked by staunch resistance to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and persistent calls for university revitalisation, academic freedom, and fair remuneration for lecturers.
Though lauded by some for his activism, Osodeke’s tenure also witnessed extended strike actions and mixed reactions from the public and government.
As Professor Piwuna takes the helm, all eyes will be on how he navigates the growing pressures within Nigeria’s public university system — and whether his leadership will signal continuity or a strategic shift in ASUU’s long-standing confrontational stance.
