2027 Presidency: Sheriff Says It’s Impossible For Obi To Win North

A former Governor of Borno State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Ali Modu Sheriff, has ruled out the chances of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, winning the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the former Anambra State governor would struggle to secure support across Northern Nigeria.

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

Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election after polling over six million votes, is widely expected to seek another shot at the presidency in 2027.

However, Sheriff maintained that the former Anambra governor would find it difficult to make significant inroads in the North.

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

When reminded that Obi secured substantial votes in states such as Plateau and Nasarawa during the 2023 election, Sheriff argued that the political climate had since changed.

He alleged that many Northerners were still dissatisfied with 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 claimed.

He further alleged that supporters of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had 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.

Sheriff also dismissed Obi’s criticism of President Tinubu over the country’s security challenges.

The former presidential candidate has repeatedly faulted the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, arguing that the administration has not done enough to safeguard lives and property.

Responding, Sheriff said Nigeria’s security problems predated Tinubu’s administration and should not be used as the sole basis for assessing the President’s performance.

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

He pointed to the administration’s push for the creation of state police as one of the key initiatives aimed at improving security across the country.

The APC stalwart also dismissed the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar returning to power in 2027, insisting that the presidency should remain in the South until 2031 in line with what he described as a long-standing political understanding on power rotation.

According to him, the informal arrangement, reached by Nigeria’s political leaders after the civil war, was designed to foster national unity and ensure equitable regional representation.

“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 Muhammadu Buhari completed eight years in office, so it is now the South’s turn,” Sheriff said.

Expressing optimism about the APC’s prospects in the next general election, Sheriff said he was confident President Tinubu would secure a second term but stressed that the ruling party would not take victory for granted.

According to him, the APC would continue to campaign vigorously and engage Nigerians ahead of the 2027 polls.