Former Governor of Borno State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has said Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is unlikely to receive the support of Northern voters in the 2027 presidential election.
Sheriff made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, where he also defended President Bola Tinubu’s handling of Nigeria’s security challenges and expressed confidence in the President’s chances of securing a second term.
Speaking on Obi’s political prospects, Sheriff said he was convinced that the former Anambra State governor would struggle to win votes across the North.
“I am not worried about Peter Obi because I know Northerners will never vote for him,” Sheriff said.
When reminded that Obi secured significant votes in Plateau and Nasarawa states during the 2023 presidential election, Sheriff insisted that the political situation had changed.
He further alleged that Obi had “chased Northerners out of Anambra State” during his tenure as governor, a claim for which he provided no evidence during the interview.
Sheriff also claimed that supporters of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso were opposed to any political alliance involving Obi ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, many Kwankwaso supporters would rather back the former Kano governor as a presidential candidate than support a coalition with the Labour Party leader.
On the issue of national security, Sheriff dismissed criticisms by Obi against President Tinubu, arguing that the country’s insecurity predates the current administration.
He maintained that the President should be evaluated based on the measures his government has introduced to tackle the problem rather than being blamed solely for the challenges.
“We should not simply condemn the President because there is insecurity in Nigeria,” Sheriff stated.
He cited the administration’s efforts to promote state policing as one of the key reforms aimed at strengthening internal security across the country.
Sheriff also weighed in on the expected presidential ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is widely expected to contest the 2027 election under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to the former governor, Nigeria’s informal power-sharing arrangement requires that the presidency remains in the South until 2031 following the completion of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure.
“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.
Despite expressing confidence that President Tinubu would be re-elected in 2027, Sheriff stressed that the APC would continue to campaign vigorously rather than assume victory was guaranteed.
His comments come as political consultations and coalition talks continue to gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, with key opposition figures expected to challenge the ruling APC for the presidency.
