The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state, has said it declined approval for the venue of a lecture to be delivered by Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, due to short notice by the organisers.
The university made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday by Abiodun Olarewaju, its public relations officer.
The explanation follows concerns raised by Obi, who had alleged a growing pattern of cancellations of his engagements across Nigerian universities.
In a post on X on Saturday, Obi said he was scheduled to deliver a keynote lecture at OAU by 9am before proceeding to Ibadan for an opposition summit, but was later informed that the event had been called off.
He added that the incident was not isolated, noting that similar cancellations had occurred more than 10 times.
However, OAU said the organisers did not provide adequate details about the event until Friday, a day before the scheduled programme.
The institution said the late notice made it impossible to put in place necessary security and logistical arrangements.
“It is important to note that events involving high-profile personalities of such standing require adequate prior notification to the university authorities,” the statement read.
The university said early notification would have allowed it to coordinate with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to ensure safety.
“Given the short notice and the inability to complete these critical arrangements, the university authorities could not approve the use of Oduduwa Hall for the event,” it added.
OAU stressed that the decision was based on safety considerations and adherence to established protocols.
It added that the move should not be interpreted as a slight against Obi or his status.
