Former Borno State Governor and All Progressives Congress chieftain Ali Modu Sheriff says Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will not win the support of Northern voters in the 2027 presidential election.
Sheriff made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television, where he also defended President Bola Tinubu’s approach to Nigeria’s security problems.
Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election with more than six million votes, is widely expected to run again in 2027.
Speaking on Obi’s chances, Sheriff said, “I am not worried about Peter Obi because I know Northerners will never vote for him.”
After he was reminded that Obi secured strong support in states including Plateau and Nasarawa in 2023, Sheriff insisted things had changed.
“The situation is different now. When Peter Obi was governor, he chased Northerners out of Anambra State,” he alleged.
Sheriff also claimed supporters of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso were against any political alliance with 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.
The former governor also answered Obi’s criticism of President Tinubu over insecurity. Obi has repeatedly accused the Tinubu administration of failing to deal with the problem and said the President should step aside if he could not keep Nigerians safe.
In response, Sheriff argued that Nigeria’s security challenges existed before the current administration and said Tinubu should be judged by the actions his government has taken.
“We should not simply condemn the President because there is insecurity in Nigeria,” he said.
He cited the administration’s push for state policing as one step aimed at improving security.
Sheriff also dismissed the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is expected to contest on the African Democratic Congress platform. He argued that the presidency should remain in the South until 2031 under the country’s informal power-sharing arrangement.
“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,” Sheriff said.
He also said he was confident Tinubu would win re-election in 2027, while stressing that the APC would still campaign hard instead of taking victory for granted.
