2027: Obi’ll win North despite criticism — Obidients, NDC

July 26, 2026 12:07 am

ADEBAYO FOLORUNSHO-FRANCIS and TOHEEB OMOTAYO

The Nigeria Democratic Congress and supporters of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have expressed confidence that the former Anambra State governor will record stronger electoral gains across northern Nigeria in the 2027 election.

They dismissed recent claims by some northern political figures that an Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket would fail in the region.

The optimism comes amid sustained criticism from former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, and the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who have argued that Obi would struggle to attract northern votes.

However, leaders of the Obidient Movement and the NDC insisted that the political landscape had changed, saying their camps were strengthening grassroots structures and preparing fresh engagement strategies ahead of the next election.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Abdulmumin Abdulsalam, described Obi’s critics as politically irrelevant, insisting that northern voters would base their decisions on the prevailing economic and security situation rather than ethnic or religious sentiments.

He said the North had gone past the era when one person could simply appear on air and discredit another on the basis of religion or ethnicity.

Abdulsalam said, “Everybody is a witness to what is happening in the country today, the level of insecurity, especially in the North. If Peter Obi has the magic wand to turn things around, then it is not for them to define his fate.

“It is the masses who will come out en masse to vote for their choice. And I can tell you that the mistake of 2023 cannot be repeated. So, by merely coming out to discredit the personality of Peter Obi, saying the O-K (Obi-Kwankwaso) ticket is not sellable is a waste of time. Are they the ones who own the market where we plan to sell the candidacy of Peter Obi? No, they don’t own the market.”

He added that the party would unveil its northern mobilisation strategy “at the right time,” while intensifying engagements with labour groups, civil society organisations and the electorate ahead of the 2027 polls.

“Very soon, we will begin to engage with the electorate. We will begin to discuss how we can salvage this country. We will sell our candidates, and they will be bought by the people. Mind you, it doesn’t mean that those who go to the market early will get home first. No, let’s allow them to have their say, and we will have our way at the right time,” he stated.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the movement had identified its shortcomings from the 2023 election and was expanding its reach across the North through grassroots mobilisation and engagement with traditional rulers.

He said, “This is part of the discussion we are having right now. We are trying to identify the areas where we have shortcomings, while at the same time trying to beef up our presence and visibility in those same areas. Of course, you will not expect me to start divulging most of them.

“We want to be visible in every home, and that is what we intend to do. We are also targeting traditional rulers and grassroots mobilisers. We believe that once we capture the grassroots, the leaders will have to follow. They can’t change their minds before.”

Tanko also dismissed concerns over comments by elder statesmen predicting the failure of an Obi-Kwankwaso alliance in the North, saying the movement remained focused on empowering ordinary Nigerians and building support from the grassroots.

“We are not worried about them because we are certain the status quo would change if Obi becomes the president. They are only afraid of what good things may come to the smaller generation. The truth is that the poor people in society are the ones feeling the brunt.

“The moment you have an Obi presidency, there are chances that most of these people will be free. Once they are independent, it reduces the growth of the elites, and the elite doesn’t want that to happen.”

Similarly, the Kwara State Woman Leader of the NDC, Hamzat Idayat, said the party was implementing grassroots engagement and issue-based campaigns across the northern part of the country to convince voters that it represented their interests.

Responding to enquiries from Sunday PUNCH in Ilorin on Saturday, Idayat said the party remained committed to building what she described as “a truly national platform” that reflected the aspirations of all Nigerians, including those in the North.

She added that the party’s strategy was anchored on sustained grassroots mobilisation and addressing critical issues affecting northern communities.

“Our strategies centre on consistent grassroots engagement, prioritising issues of security, agriculture, education, and economic opportunity that directly affect Northern communities, and presenting a clear, inclusive alternative that transcends regional or individual candidacies,” she said.

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