Northerners Won’t Vote For Peter Obi In 2027 – Sheriff

A former governor of Borno State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ali Modu Sheriff, has dismissed the chances of former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, winning the 2027 presidential election.

Naija News reports that Sheriff said the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate would not secure the support of Northern voters.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, the former governor also defended President Bola Tinubu’s record on security and expressed confidence that the APC would retain power in 2027.

Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election after securing over six million votes on the Labour Party platform, is expected to contest again in 2027 under the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

Sheriff, however, said he was not worried about Obi’s chances.

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

When reminded that Obi won significant votes in Plateau and Nasarawa states in the last election, Sheriff insisted that the situation had changed.

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

The former governor also claimed that supporters of former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, were opposed to any political alliance between Kwankwaso and 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.

Ex-governor Defends Tinubu

Sheriff also faulted Obi’s criticism of Tinubu over insecurity.

Obi had repeatedly criticised the administration over security challenges, saying the President should leave office if he could not guarantee the safety of Nigerians.

But Sheriff said the insecurity problem did not start under Tinubu.

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

He added that Nigerians should assess the administration based on the reforms it had introduced, including the push for state police.

Sheriff also dismissed the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is expected to contest the 2027 election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress.

He said the presidency should remain in the South until 2031.

“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 confidence that Tinubu would win a second term in 2027, but added that the APC would not take victory for granted and would continue to campaign vigorously.