I’ve never seen a government as divisive as that of BAT. One where government appointees in positions of power are so vocal with tribal sentiments towards the Igbos, and nothing happens. No caution, no accountability, just silence like everything is normal.
People like Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who is meant to be the face of Nigeria in the diaspora, yet says things that clearly raise eyebrows, and nobody calls her to order. That alone should tell you the kind of environment we are operating in.
So there’s something happening on Twitter, and since Facebook is Facebook, I know this gist may not get here on time, or it may even take two weeks before it lands here. Let me help you understand it now, so nobody will twist it for you later.
Peter Obi was invited to speak at the International Leadership Conference that was scheduled to hold on April 25, 2026, at Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University. This was not a secret meeting, it was public.
On March 26, 2026, the official OAU Twitter handle, @thegreatestife, posted about the event and invited people to register. People saw it, people registered, people made plans. Everything was out in the open.
Now this is where it starts getting funny, or sad, depending on how you choose to look at it. Last minute to the event, after all the awareness, after people had already prepared, the same university reached out to the organizers and said Oduduwa Hall was no longer available. Just like that, after a whole month.
The same school that was happy enough to tweet about Peter Obi coming to their campus suddenly remembered, one day to the event, that the hall was not available? No prior notice. No gradual communication. Just last-minute cancellation.
As if that was not enough, two days later, on April 27, 2026, the school’s official handle came out again to say they were not “duly informed” about the event, and that they were concerned about Peter Obi’s security and needed time to plan logistics.
Now let’s be serious. One month is not enough to be duly informed? Is one month not enough for a federal university to plan security? Or is the security situation in that school so bad that they cannot host someone they themselves publicly acknowledged?
However, if that is the case, then that is a bigger issue entirely. You cannot promote an event, allow people to register, create awareness, and then suddenly act like you were not aware of it.
That is not miscommunication and certainly not about logistics. It is something else because if you look closely, you will see a pattern that has been playing out in this country.
Certain voices are not directly silenced. They are just frustrated, delayed and blocked quietly. Everything is always dressed up with fine English, “logistics”, “security concerns”, “we were not informed” but if you connect the dots, the picture becomes clear.
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Now this is where it becomes dangerous because when institutions like universities start acting this way, it goes beyond one event. Students are watching, young people are observing. They are seeing that even in spaces meant for learning and open conversation, things can be influenced quietly from somewhere.
Sometimes I just sit and think about it. Why would a university allow Tinubu, a man whose own history, especially around education, is surrounded by questions, to have that kind of influence that can affect a federal university’s decisions? Think about that.
Oftentimes, I even feel for the Yoruba people because when all of this is over, there will be a lot of reflection, a lot of questions, and unnecessary blame will be placed on an entire tribe because of the actions of some individuals and that is not fair.
There are Yoruba people who have been consistent, who have spoken up from the time of Muhammadu Buhari till now, even when it is uncomfortable. People who have refused to trade truth for tribe but we cannot ignore what is happening.
Tribalism has never been this loud. I used to think Buhari’s era was the peak, but this one is different. This one is bold. This one is unapologetic, it is almost like it is being encouraged and that is the scary part.
When something like this becomes normal, it stops shocking people. People begin to adjust. People begin to excuse it and they begin to defend it. Until one day, it becomes the standard.
Iniobong Udoh
