The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 elections, Peter Obi, has clarified that he has a good relationship with people from the northern region of the country and the region itself.
Obi made the clarification when he denied allegations of making divisive remarks about Northern Nigerians.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, the former Governor of Anambra State also rejected suggestions that his presidency would deepen divisions in the country.
He submitted that he has consistently engaged in humanitarian interventions across the region.
Naijaonpoint reports that to support his position, Obi highlighted his longstanding relationship with northern communities, recalling several visits to states affected by insecurity and humanitarian crises.
On the allegation of making a divisive statement against the north, the former Governor said: “That’s a lie. It never happened.”
He also recounted travelling to Borno State during the early days of the Boko Haram insurgency to console former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff following the killing of his brother.
“At the onset of this Boko Haram issue… his own brother was killed. I travelled to Borno State to console him. When people didn’t want to go there, I went to Borno State,” he said.
Obi also recalled travelling to Borno after severe flooding in the state, where he donated ₦50 million, met with the state governor and the Shehu of Borno, and visited internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
According to him, his humanitarian activities have taken him to several northern states, including Katsina, Kebbi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi and Sokoto.
“I’ve been to the most troubled parts of the North… I’ve been to Benue up to four times, visiting the various affected communities… I’ve spent Christmas and New Year in IDP camps,” he said.
Obi further stated that during his time as Governor, his Aide de Camp (ADC) was a Muslim northerner.
“My ADC was from Kano, and he’s a Muslim,” he said.
The NDC presidential candidate added that throughout his eight years as governor of Anambra State, all his cooks were northerners and that his administration sponsored Muslim faithful in the state on annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
“As governor, I was paying for Muslims living in Anambra to go to Hajj,” he said.
He also pointed to current support for Almajiri schools in Kano and Bauchi, as well as a School of Nursing in Bauchi, as a testament to his commitment to the welfare of northerners and national unity.
