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| Some of the programs canceled last minute allegedly just so to stop Obi |
The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has raised the red flag over covert schemes aimed at curtailing the freedom of the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and blocking his access to Nigerians.
In a strongly worded press release signed by spokesman Ibrahim Umar, POMR revealed it’s aware of clandestine moves by unnamed forces to restrict Obi’s movements and public engagements. “We wish to alert members of the public and international democratic watchers to these surreptitious schemes,” the statement declared.
The alert spotlights a string of recent incidents where Obi has been barred from speaking at public institutions. The most recent blow came with the abrupt cancellation of his scheduled lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife.
Similar eleventh-hour revocations have hit events at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Obi’s alma mater, and other venues, with such disruptions reported over 10 times in recent months.
POMR insists these are no mere administrative glitches but clear signs of a “deepening democratic malaise” designed to silence the prominent opposition figure and now presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Party (ADC).
“This worrisome development follows a disturbing pattern,” Umar emphasized, urging vigilance against what it describes as a deliberate clampdown on free speech.
As Nigeria’s political landscape heats up ahead of future elections, the controversy underscores growing tensions around opposition voices.
POMR called on democratic stakeholders worldwide to monitor the situation closely.
Part of the statement reads: “It's a well-established fact that universities are, by definition, the "marketplace of ideas." Intended to be sanctuaries for critical thinking, rigorous debate, and the free exchange of perspectives, but in an attempt to suppress our principal's, public institutions are succumbing to external political pressures and intimidation.
“In the words of Obi himself, "such occurrences now point to a troubling pattern that should concern all well-meaning Nigerians." POMR would want to reiterate that universities and other public institutions of learning must remain platforms where ideas can be shared freely without restriction."
“The irony is stark that while Mr Obi has been welcomed to speak freely at notable global centres of excellence, including Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, and Yale, within his own country, the doors of public learning are increasingly being bolted.
“This disparity raises a critical question: What is the state of a nation that fears the dialogue of its own citizens within its own halls of learning?
“We like to therefore call upon the administrative heads of public institutions and the relevant governing bodies to resist political intimidation and uphold the sanctity of academic freedom. A country that silences its thinkers and its leaders within its ivory towers is a country that risks intellectual and social stagnation.
“We stand for an open Nigeria where the "force of argument" always supersedes the "argument of force."
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