Another prominent figure whose name was on the flier as the chairman of the conference was Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar, the Sardaunan Katsina.
Sources close to him said he was not aware of the said conference, let alone being the chairman of the conference.The confusion and denial
The flier, which was widely shared on the social media, noted that the conference would take place from October 2  to 9, 2025 at FUDMA’s campus in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State.The controversy quickly gathered momentum when the university issued a statement in a special bulletin signed by Nasiru M Abdul, the director of information and protocol, denying any knowledge or approval of the conference.

“The university management is not aware and has not entered into any collaboration with the said Pleasant College of Advanced Studies or any institution for that matter to host the advertised international conference,” the statement reads.

Prof Abdallah Uba Adamu, who was listed as a keynote speaker, also denied any knowledge of the conference, saying his name was included without his consent.

“I want to make it abundantly clear that while I support the idea of public dissection of performance of arts – music, literature, film, theatre art – I am not part of this initiative because no one has sought my consent or availability,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

He described the inclusion of his name as “highly unprofessional” and stated that he would not be part of the conference.

The conference secretariat, through its secretary, Gambo Garba, later issued a statement apologising for the confusion and explaining that Prof Adamu’s name was included due to miscommunication with one of his associates.

“We sincerely apologise for this oversight, it was never our intention to involve Prof Adamu without his clear consent,” Garba stated.

The secretariat assured that Prof Adamu’s name would be removed from the revised conference poster and the correction would be communicated across all platforms.

On the other hand, Pleasant College also issued a press release on Friday (yesterday). The college expressed its surprise and dismay over FUDMA’s denial of knowledge or approval of the conference.

“The international conference on Alhaji Dauda Kahutu Rarara was conceived in 2024 by the PLBC Conferences  and Seminars team.

“Scholars have already produced 36 journal articles, three master’s theses and 17 undergraduate projects on Rarara. As the Hausa saying goes, “ilimi ba shi da shinge”, knowledge knows no fence, research must be “limitless, boundless and elastic.

“Part of the letter we wrote to FUDMA reads: ‘We respectfully invite the Federal University Dutsin-Ma to co-host the international conference on the songs of Alhaji Dauda Kahutu Rarara.

“The university accepted. Its local organising committee chairman and representatives confirmed participation by WhatsApp,” the college stated.
The press statement claimed that the name of Prof Bashir Aliyu Sallau was given as the local organising committee chairman while Dr Ibrahim Adamu Malumfashi, HOD Hausa, and Dr Yahaya Abbas were listed as members, all from FUDMA as the institution’s representatives.

It went ahead to claim that three local organising committee meetings were held on June 29 and July 6, 2025, each attended by the said FUDMA nominees.
The statement also noted that as part of the decisions made during the meetings, the acting vice chancellor of FUDMA had agreed to serve as chief host and conference date confirmed. It, however, acknowledged that there was a mix-up with the name of Prof Abdalla Adamu as the contact person probably forgot to inform him, even after giving them assurance.

“All the same, we were very surprised at his reaction to the inclusion of his name. We had already apologised and he accepted our apology as indicated on his Facebook page. We are sorry for the uproar his original post on Facebook caused,” the statement added.

On the issue of Amb Ahemd Rufa’i, Sardaunan Katsina and the immediate past director-general of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, whose name also appeared as the chairman of the conference, who was said to have also denied any knowledge of the conference, the secretary of the local organising committee admitted that he was not informed prior to the publication of the fliers, but relied on the commitment given by someone close to him that he would be briefed.

He, however, said the error had been rectified as his name has been removed, while regretting any inconveniences made.

The college, according to the statement, viewed FUDMA’s denial as damaging, saying it misled stakeholders into believing that the event was unauthorized, as well hinted at fraud, suggesting that fees might be unlawfully collected.

The denial also “erodes trust in PCAS/PLBC, an institution that has educated 308,000 learners and currently serves about 1,000 students,” the statement added.

It noted that a formal letter served on Friday gave FUDMA 48 hours (until close of business Tuesday, July 15, 2025) to publish an apology and retraction in Daily Trust, The Guardian, Katsina Times Forum, Katsina Post, Karaduwa Post, Media Crew and five additional outlets, noting that failure to do so would attract legal action.

We stand by our position – FUDMA
When contacted, Nasiru M. Abdul, the director of information and protocol of FUDMA, said the university stood by its position.

“FUDMA is a formal institution; we do everything official in a formal way. So, if there is any formal communication with the university, any invitation to collaborate or host the said conference for which we gave our approval, they should provide their evidences,” he said.

The conference goes on
Despite the controversy, the college has shown its willingness and determination to continue with the conference as scheduled.

Weekend Trust gathered that some universities have indicated interest to collaborate and host the conference.
“At this point, PCAS/PLBC welcomes Professor Hakeem I. Tijani, Morgan State University, USA, a historian of African Migration and Peace Studies, who called from the US and wished to be accommodated as keynote speaker.

Professor Tijjani sent his curriculum vitae, which was assessed and he was confirmed as a keynote speaker.
“He replaces Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, who withdrew after an honest administrative mix-up for which regret has been expressed.

“We must inform that we have so far received more than 12 abstracts for the international conference and that time remains unchanged and venue will be communicated in the updated posters,” the local organising committee secretary stated.