Organisers of a book presentation titled Tinubu: From Renewed Hope to Despair have accused authorities of attempting to suppress the event after the management of Arewa House, Ahmadu Bello University, cancelled their hall booking.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, Executive Director of the organising group, Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, said they received a letter on 10 October, 2026 cancelling the booking for the public presentation of the book, which is a critical examination of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Mohammed said the group had anticipated the move, noting that many invitees had expressed fears that attempts would be made to stop the event.
“We were not entirely surprised by this development,” the statement said, attributing the fears to what it described as the “increasingly intolerant disposition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, some governors and their political loyalists” to dissenting opinions.
The organisers also alleged that efforts to secure an alternative venue in Kaduna failed after every hotel they approached claimed they had been warned not to host the event.
“If these reports are accurate, they point to a disturbing attempt to deny citizens their right to assemble, exchange ideas and critically examine the conduct of those entrusted with public office,” Mohammed said.
He described the reported pressure on ABU to withdraw Arewa House as “particularly troubling,” arguing that a university should be a defender of intellectual freedom and open debate.
According to the organisers, the book contains nothing that is not already in the public domain and seeks to interrogate the Tinubu administration’s policies and their implications for the economy, security, national unity and democratic development.
“If those in power disagree with our analysis or conclusions, they are free to challenge them with evidence, reasoned arguments and alternative explanations,” the statement said, adding that “the proper response to criticism is engagement, not suppression.”
The group said it is relocating the presentation to Abuja and will announce a new venue and date soon, while expressing concern that further attempts may be made to frustrate the event, including through security agencies.
“Attempts to prevent a book presentation do not answer the questions raised in the book. They do not alleviate the economic hardship confronting Nigerians, resolve the country’s security crisis or restore public confidence in government,” the statement added.
