ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Borno State Governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ali Modu Sheriff, has dismissed the chances of Peter Obi winning the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the former Anambra State governor will not secure the support of Northern voters.
Sheriff made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he also defended President Bola Tinubu’s handling of insecurity and predicted that the APC would retain power in the next general election.
Although Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, polled more than six million votes to finish third, Sheriff said he was not worried about the former Anambra governor’s renewed presidential bid under the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
“I am not worried about Peter Obi at all because I know that Northerners will never vote for Peter Obi,” Sheriff said.
When reminded that Obi secured significant votes in states such as Nasarawa and Plateau during the 2023 election, Sheriff argued that the political situation had changed.
“The situation is different now, you know why? Peter Obi when he was a governor chased all the Northerners out of Anambra State,” he alleged.
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Sheriff further claimed that supporters of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in Kano had expressed reservations about any political alliance involving Obi.
“This is what Kano people are telling Kwankwaso now, that we always supported you and we will support you if you run for president but we will not support you to go with Peter Obi,” he said.
The APC chieftain also rejected Obi’s recent criticisms of President Tinubu over worsening insecurity, maintaining that the former Anambra governor was not in a position to demand the President’s resignation.
VONa had reported that Obi repeatedly criticised the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity and recently called on Tinubu to either resign or forgo seeking re-election if he could not adequately protect Nigerians.
Responding, Sheriff said the President was making genuine efforts to address the country’s security challenges, citing his advocacy for the creation of state police as evidence of his commitment.
“We don’t just go and be condemning the president because there is insecurity in Nigeria,” he said, adding that the country’s security problems predated the Tinubu administration.