Northerners will never vote for Peter Obi – Ex-Borno gov Sheriff

A former Borno State Governor and All Progressives Congress stalwart, Ali Modu Sheriff, has dismissed the prospects of Peter Obi emerging victorious in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the former Anambra State governor would struggle to attract support across Northern Nigeria.

Sheriff made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme aired on Channels Television, where he also defended President Bola Tinubu’s handling of national security and expressed confidence that the APC would retain power in the next general election.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party and finished third after polling more than six million votes, is expected to seek the presidency again in 2027 under the banner of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

Despite Obi’s performance in the last election, Sheriff insisted the former governor had little chance of winning over the North.

“I am not worried about Peter Obi because I know Northerners will never vote for him,” he said.

When reminded that Obi recorded significant votes in states such as Plateau and Nasarawa during the 2023 election, Sheriff argued that the political landscape had changed.

According to him, many Northerners still harbour grievances over Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State.

“The situation is different now. When Peter Obi was governor, he chased Northerners out of Anambra State,” Sheriff alleged.

He further claimed that some supporters of former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had also expressed reservations about any political alliance involving Obi.

“This is what people in Kano are telling Kwankwaso now. They say they have always supported him and will continue to do so if he contests for president, but they will not support him if he aligns with Peter Obi,” he said.

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Sheriff also rejected recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu by Obi over the country’s security situation.

Obi has repeatedly accused the Tinubu administration of failing to curb insecurity and has suggested that the President should step aside if he is unable to guarantee the safety of Nigerians.

Responding to those remarks, Sheriff argued that the country’s security problems predate the current administration and said Tinubu should be judged by the measures his government has introduced to address them.

“We should not simply condemn the President because there is insecurity in Nigeria,” he said.

He cited the administration’s efforts to introduce state police as one of the initiatives aimed at strengthening security nationwide.

The APC chieftain also dismissed the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is expected to contest on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, maintaining that power should remain in the South until 2031.

According to Sheriff, Nigeria’s political leaders reached an informal understanding after the civil war to promote regional balance by rotating the presidency between the North and the South.

“After the civil war, our leaders agreed that Nigeria should not continue on the old path. There is an understanding about regional balance.

“For Atiku, this is not the North’s turn. He is a respected leader and eminently qualified, but he has to wait until 2031. President Buhari completed eight years in office, so it is now the South’s turn,” he said.

Sheriff expressed optimism that Tinubu would secure re-election in 2027 but stressed that the APC would continue to campaign vigorously rather than assume victory was guaranteed.