Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has raised concerns over what he described as a shrinking democratic and academic space in Nigeria following the cancellation of a lecture he was scheduled to deliver at Obafemi Awolowo University.
Obi said he was billed to deliver a keynote lecture at the university before the event was abruptly called off, a development he described as troubling for intellectual freedom and open engagement in academic institutions.
Reacting to the development, Obi warned that universities should remain spaces for free thought, debate and critical engagement, arguing that the cancellation raises wider concerns about growing restrictions on academic expression. He said such incidents could signal a dangerous erosion of spaces where ideas should be freely contested.
He also linked the incident to broader democratic concerns, saying a society that constrains academic discourse risks weakening institutions that should nurture independent thinking and national progress.
The development has triggered reactions among observers, especially given recent tensions around student activism and academic activities at OAU.
While details surrounding the cancellation remain contested, Obi maintained that the issue goes beyond one event, warning that any trend that narrows academic freedom should concern all Nigerians.
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