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By Lawrence Agbo
Former Borno State Governor and senior All Progressives Congress (APC) figure, Ali Modu Sheriff, has ruled out the possibility of Peter Obi winning the presidency in 2027, insisting the former Anambra State governor cannot attract the backing of Northern voters.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Monday, Sheriff dismissed concerns over Obi’s renewed presidential bid, saying he does not consider the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate a serious threat to the ruling party.
According to him, the political realities in the North make Obi’s path to the Presidency extremely difficult.
“I am not worried about Peter Obi at all because I know that Northerners will never vote for Peter Obi,” Sheriff stated.
The former governor argued that Obi’s showing in the 2023 presidential election, where he secured over six million votes, would not be replicated in 2027.
He further claimed that many Northerners remain dissatisfied with Obi over actions allegedly taken during his tenure as governor of Anambra State, a factor he believes would count against the former Labour Party presidential candidate.
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Sheriff also suggested that support for potential political alliances involving Obi would face resistance in parts of the North, citing ongoing discussions among supporters of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Reacting to Obi’s recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu over insecurity, Sheriff defended the administration, saying the President is taking concrete steps to address the country’s security challenges.
He pointed to the push for state police as one of the measures being pursued to strengthen internal security, arguing that Nigeria’s security problems were inherited and did not begin under Tinubu’s government.
On the 2027 presidential race, Sheriff also dismissed the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, maintaining that the North should respect the country’s informal power-sharing arrangement by allowing the South to complete another term in office.
He said Atiku, despite his political stature, should defer his ambition until 2031, when, in his view, it would be the North’s turn to produce the President.
Sheriff expressed confidence that President Tinubu would win re-election in 2027 but stressed that the APC would continue to campaign vigorously rather than assume victory was guaranteed.
