Bauchi candidate’s PhD defence unravels as US, UK institutions deny ties
Two foreign institutions cited as proof of the credibility of a Cameroonian university that awarded a doctorate to a Nigerian governorship candidate have said they have no record of any relationship with the institution, dealing a blow to efforts by the candidate’s camp to validate the qualification.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States and the Chartered College of Teaching in London have both denied any affiliation or partnership with the International University of Bamenda (IUB), the private Cameroonian institution that conferred a PhD on Yakubu Adamu, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) governorship candidate for Bauchi State.
The denials came after Daure David, who introduced himself as Adamu’s spokesperson, defended the degree on Albarka Radio in Bauchi, claiming IUB had partnerships with reputable institutions abroad, including the University of Wisconsin and a chartered body in London.
In an email to WikkiTimes on 2 July, John Lucas, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: “In answer to your questions, we have no record of any international agreement, affiliation or relationship with the International University of Bamenda.” Lucas added that the university had past agreements with other Cameroonian institutions but currently has no active agreements in Cameroon.
The Chartered College of Teaching, London, which succeeded the Centre for College of Preceptors, also denied the partnership. Dawn Dullaway of its Membership Operations Team said in an email on 22 June: “I’m afraid we do not have a record of this partnership.”
The IUB website lists several foreign partners, including Cardinal Stritch University, Wisconsin, which closed in May 2023 due to financial difficulties, and American Central University, which United States regulators have linked to a diploma mill. The Oregon Office of Degree Authorisation described a website associated with American Central University as a “fraudulent attempt to hijack the genuine DETC name.”
Cameroon’s Ministry of Higher Education has publicly stated that no private institution in the country is authorised to deliver doctoral training. In a press release dated 13 April 2026, signed by Minister of State for Higher Education Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo, the ministry said no offshore doctoral programme is authorised on Cameroonian territory and that certificates from such programmes cannot be recognised.
The National Commission for Private Higher Education (CNESP) sanctioned IUB at its 30th session on 28 August 2024. Cameroon Tribune reported on 3 September 2024 that the university was sanctioned for the “issuance of false diplomas and the refusal to compensate a learner” and was closed for three years.
Documents reviewed by WikkiTimes show that Adamu’s thesis was supervised within a 40-day window. A letter dated 18 May 2020 appointed Dr Kawu Gana as supervisor, and Gana certified the thesis on 29 June 2020. Sources at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, told WikkiTimes that Gana was not an academic staff member but an official in the institution’s bursary department.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has not issued an official response to requests for clarification on IUB’s status. Iliyasu Musa, a Deputy Director at the NUC, said the verification of foreign institutions is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Education. The Ministry has also not responded to a Freedom of Information request submitted on 23 June seeking clarification on IUB’s status.