Some students at the African University of Communication and Business (AUCB) have alleged that they were misled into signing a petition concerning the university’s decision to award its own certificates to the 2022/2023 academic batch.
The controversy follows the university’s transition from the African University College of Communication (AUCC) to AUCB after it received a presidential charter on December 19, 2024, granting it the authority to operate as an independent degree-awarding institution. As a result, the university announced on April 27, 2026, that the current graduating class would become the first batch to receive certificates issued by AUCB.
However, the decision has been met with mixed reactions among students. Some final-year students insist they were admitted under the affiliation arrangement with the University of Ghana and therefore expected to graduate with certificates bearing the University of Ghana’s name.
Tensions heightened after a petition opposing the university’s directive surfaced during the students’ final examination period on May 17, 2026.
According to some students, they were asked to sign what they believed was an attendance sheet, only to later discover that it was linked to the petition challenging the school’s certification decision.
Students who claim they were unaware of the purpose of the document have since expressed their desire to distance themselves from any petition-related actions.
The incident has reportedly created divisions on campus, particularly between some students in the weekend and morning sessions. Despite the controversy, other students have backed the university’s decision, arguing that AUCB now has the legal mandate to issue its own certificates following the granting of its charter.
In an effort to restore calm on campus, some affected students are reportedly engaging with organizers of the petition to have their names removed from the document and to clarify their positions on the matter.