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Edo governor faces backlash over controversial university name change

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has sparked a legal and political storm following his unilateral decision to rename Edo State University, Uzairue, to Edo University, Iyamho.

The governor's directive, announced in a December 30 press statement, bypassed the legislative process required to amend the institution’s legally established name, drawing sharp criticism from legal experts, opposition parties, and civil society groups.

Constitutional lawyer Barr. Anthony Ehilebo labelled the move “executive overreach,” emphasising that such changes must be legislated.

“The Governor has no legal authority to rename a university without legislative approval. This is not governance—it’s lawlessness,” Ehilebo declared.

READ ALSO: Outrage as students reject renaming of UniAbuja after Yakubu Gowon

The university, founded in 2014 as a fee-paying, autonomous institution, has previously undergone name changes, but only through formal amendments.

The last renaming, from Edo University, Iyamho, to Edo State University, Uzairue, in 2020, followed legislative procedures and aimed to reflect the primogeniture identity of Uzairue while distancing the institution from former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole.

Opposition spokesperson Goodluck Osaretin accused Governor Okpebholo of undermining democratic norms.

“This is part of a pattern. From illegal suspensions of local government chairmen to renaming a university by fiat, the Governor is eroding public trust.

“Why break the law to please his leader? Does he not know the law, or worse, does he not care?” Osaretin said.

The controversy has reignited debates about state institution autonomy. Legal analysts warn that such unilateral actions could destabilise governance.

A political analyst urged the Governor to retract his directive and follow due legislative procedures, cautioning, “Governance thrives on process, not whims.”

As opposition parties and civil society groups criticise the move, the Governor’s strained relationship with the State House of Assembly faces further pressure, potentially deepening the ongoing governance crisis in Edo State.

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