A former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, has declared that the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, is "not sellable in the North" and will face serious interrogation from northern voters over his record .
"He Cannot Penetrate the North"
Speaking during an interview with DCL English, Yusuf did not mince words about Obi's electoral prospects in the region . According to him, the former Anambra State governor faces an uphill battle to gain acceptance among northern electorates.
"Peter Obi is not sellable in the North, and this is the honest truth; they don't want me saying that, but I don't know how to lie. Peter Obi cannot penetrate the North; that's the honest truth," Yusuf stated emphatically .
What Northerners Will Question
Yusuf outlined several issues that northern voters would interrogate, including Obi's tenure as Anambra State governor and his stance on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) .
"We are going to interrogate his tenure as a governor. We are going to interrogate his association and refusal to disassociate himself from IPOB which has been declared a terrorist group," he said .
The former NHIS boss specifically referenced Obi's comments on IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021 .
"He's been saying that Nnamdi Kanu should not have been arrested, that he's clean. We will interrogate him; it's not for his surrogates to come and give us answers; he must come and talk to people in the North," Yusuf insisted .
Drawing a parallel, he asked: "If you arrest Turji and I say that he's not a terrorist, you think anybody will vote for me even back home here?"
Allegations of Igbocentric Campaign
Yusuf also accused Obi of running what he described as an Igbocentric and Christian-focused campaign during the 2023 presidential election . He questioned how northern Muslims would be comfortable with a candidate who predominantly campaigned in churches.
"Peter Obi during his 2023 election was partly Igbocentric and Christian; how do you expect us Muslims to be comfortable with you?" Yusuf queried. "He went round all churches during his 2023 campaign; he has questions to answer, and he needs us to be comfortable with him" .
Deportation Allegations Resurface
In earlier interviews, Yusuf had also alleged that Obi deported northerners and forced them to carry identity cards during his tenure as Anambra State governor . He claimed that Kwankwaso, now Obi's running mate, once had to travel to Awka to warn Obi to be cautious about his treatment of northerners.
"The evil that men do lives after them. The good is often interred with their bones. We are going to interrogate and question Peter Obi's tenure when he was governor of Anambra State. What he did to northerners. He even made them have an ID card, their names, where they are from, what their occupation is," Yusuf had said on Trust TV .
His allies have consistently denied allegations of ethnic targeting, maintaining that actions taken during his governorship were purely administrative and security-related .
Political Context
Yusuf's comments come amid intensified political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with Obi emerging as the NDC presidential candidate following his defection from the Labour Party .
The former NHIS boss also dismissed suggestions that an Obi-Kwankwaso coalition could pose a significant threat to President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid, describing the partnership as one that "won't make a dent" in the North .
As of the time of reporting, the NDC and Peter Obi had not issued an official response to Yusuf's allegations.
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