Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has cautioned Northern political stakeholders against endorsing former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, as the consensus candidate of any opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Omokri issued the warning in a post on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that Obi may not honour any political agreement with the North, especially the one-term presidency pledge he recently made.
Reacting to Obi’s statement where the former Anambra governor said he was willing to serve a single term and hand over power to the North, Omokri likened the situation to the fallout between Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya in Cameroon’s political history.
He wrote:
“If Arewa makes the mistake of backing the coalition and giving their Presidential ticket to Peter Obi, exactly what happened to Northern Cameroon after Ahmadou Ahidjo resigned on November 4, 1982, is what will happen to Northern Nigeria. Go back and study history.”
According to him, the Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups remain marginalised in present-day Cameroon because Biya, who succeeded Ahidjo, allegedly failed to honour earlier political promises.
Omokri also questioned Obi’s silence on separatist activities in the South-East, referencing the killing of APC chieftain Ahmed Gulak in Owerri in 2021 and the continued sit-at-home orders by IPOB.
“Who killed Ahmed Gulak in Owerri in May of 2021? Today, millions of innocent Nigerian citizens will be forced to observe the infamous Monday sit-at-home in the Southeast. Has this same Peter Obi ever condemned IPOB or their sit-at-home?” Omokri asked.
He further criticised Obi’s choice of campaign coordinators in 2023, noting that the former governor appointed non-indigenes to represent his campaign in core Northern and South-Western states.
“Mutanen Arewa may recall that in the most Islamic state of Nigeria, the seat of the Caliphate, Peter Obi named Ifeanyi Ezeagu as the state coordinator of his campaign for Sokoto. He also named John Ezeigbe the coordinator for Lagos state.”
Omokri also questioned Obi’s political loyalty, citing an unresolved rift with the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and warned the North against trusting Obi’s one-term pledge.
“A man who could not keep a promise to Ojukwu will now stay true to his pledge to Arewa? Believe that, and prepare for the Cameroon treatment.”
The political commentator, however, lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his perceived loyalty and inclusive leadership.
“The North has a friend in a Southerner, and that man is President Bola Tinubu,” Omokri wrote. “He stood by former President Muhammadu Buhari to become President, and he has proven he won’t betray the North.”
Peter Obi has yet to respond to Omokri’s comments. He recently stated during a virtual interaction that there was no agreement between him and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on a joint ticket, although he remains open to coalition talks.
