Why North Will Reject Peter Obi, Atiku in 2027 – Ali Modu Sheriff

Former Borno State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has said that the National Democratic Party (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will fail to secure the backing of Northern voters in the 2027 presidential election.

Sheriff made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television, where he also vigorously defended President Bola Tinubu’s security scorecard and dismissed the 2027 ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Obi, who secured over six million votes to finish third in the 2023 polls, is widely expected to mount another presidential bid in 2027. However, Sheriff dismissed his prospects in the region, stating bluntly: “I am not worried about Peter Obi because I know Northerners will never vote for him.”

When reminded that Obi clinched significant votes in North-Central states like Plateau and Nasarawa in 2023, the former governor insisted the political landscape had fundamentally shifted, leveling a severe historical allegation against the former Labour Party leader.

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

He further claimed that the political base of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is strongly resistant to any potential opposition coalition involving Obi.

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“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,” Sheriff added.

Sheriff also fired back at Obi’s recurrent criticisms of President Tinubu’s handling of Nigeria’s security crises. Obi has repeatedly accused the administration of failing to protect citizens, going as far as suggesting the President step down if he cannot guarantee national safety.

In response, Sheriff argued that the prevailing security challenges long predated the current administration and urged critics to evaluate Tinubu based on the active interventions being deployed.

“We should not simply condemn the President because there is insecurity in Nigeria,” Sheriff argued, pointing to the federal government’s ongoing push for the establishment of state policing as a concrete step toward decentralizing and stabilizing national security.

Turning his attention to the broader 2027 landscape, Sheriff dismissed the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is reportedly positioning himself to run on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

According to Sheriff, Atiku’s ambition violates Nigeria’s informal power-sharing agreement, which dictates that the presidency must 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,” Sheriff explained. “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.”

While expressing absolute confidence that President Tinubu will secure re-election in 2027, Sheriff concluded by noting that the ruling APC will not take victory for granted and will campaign vigorously across all regions.