North Supports Obi’s 2027 Bid, Rejects ‘It’s-My-Turn’ Politics — Ex-IPAC Chair

Former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Peter Ameh, has claimed that the political mood in northern Nigeria is increasingly favourable toward Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Ameh said that Obi’s pledge to serve only one term if elected president in 2027 has resonated deeply with the northern electorate.“I am from northern Nigeria, and as I speak today, the current available decision of our people favours Peter Obi,” said Ameh, a vocal supporter of the former Anambra State governor.

According to Ameh, Obi’s character, discipline, empathy, and competence distinguish him from others seeking power, particularly President Bola Tinubu, whom he described as embodying an “it’s-my-turn” mentality.

He said the former governor is not coming to “learn on the job” and has already demonstrated strong leadership qualities that are earning him growing support in northern states like Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Plateau, and others.“The north is more politically understanding than many assume,” he added. “We want free, fair, and credible elections, not one dominated by ethnicity or religion.”

Ameh stressed that Obi’s promise to serve just four years, in line with Nigeria’s unwritten north-south power rotation, was a significant factor in his growing popularity across the region.

He also took aim at the Tinubu administration, arguing that Nigerians are increasingly dissatisfied with rising hardship under the current government’s economic policies.“Tinubu has been rejected, not only by the north but by suffering Nigerians nationwide. The next election won’t be business as usual,” Ameh said.

He noted that the opposition is preparing to challenge all illegal electoral practices and defend what he called the “popularity and acceptance” Peter Obi now enjoys.

Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election, has publicly committed to a single four-year term if elected in 2027, aiming to uphold the unwritten rule of power balancing between Nigeria’s two major regions.

President Bola Tinubu, a southerner, succeeded Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, in 2023. He is expected to seek re-election in 2027, though his administration continues to face mounting criticism over worsening economic hardship and unpopular reforms.