The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has clarified why it did not grant approval for the proposed venue of an event where the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, was billed to speak.
The explanation comes in response to concerns raised by Obi, who recently lamented what he described as a growing trend of cancelled academic engagements across Nigerian universities, warning that such incidents could undermine intellectual freedom within higher institutions.
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In a statement issued on Sunday by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, the management said the organisers failed to disclose the profile of the guest speaker until Friday—just a day before the scheduled programme.
According to the university, the late notification made it impracticable to put in place the required security and logistical arrangements typically associated with visits by prominent personalities.
“The public should note that a group within the student body invited the former presidential candidate and ex-governor of Anambra State to deliver a lecture on campus.
“However, events of this nature involving high-profile individuals require adequate prior notice to enable the university to coordinate necessary logistics and security measures, including collaboration with relevant agencies such as the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to guarantee the safety of all participants and the university community,” the statement read.
The management added that due to the short notice and the inability to complete these essential preparations, it could not approve the use of Oduduwa Hall as requested by the organisers.
It stressed that the decision was based solely on safety considerations, orderliness, and compliance with established guidelines governing the use of university facilities, and not a reflection of any slight against Obi.
“The decision should not be misconstrued as disrespect to Mr Peter Obi, whom the university holds in high regard,” the statement added.
Earlier, Obi had disclosed via his X account that he was scheduled to deliver a keynote lecture at OAU at 9 a.m. before heading to Ibadan for a political summit, when he was informed that the event had been cancelled.
The former Anambra State governor noted that the incident was not isolated, claiming that similar cancellations had occurred on more than 10 occasions.
“Although such incidents may appear isolated, it has now happened over 10 times. This suggests a pattern that should worry all well-meaning Nigerians,” he stated.
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