A former Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Anthony Sani, has ruled out the chances of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential race, stressing that the North does not trust him enough to hand over power — even for a single term.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Sani, a respected northern elder statesman, said President Bola Tinubu remains the most likely candidate to secure northern votes, arguing that the current political dynamics heavily favour the ruling party over the opposition coalition.

He noted that despite the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, his loyalists would continue to rally behind Tinubu because Buhari remained faithful to the All Progressives Congress (APC) until his death.

“President Bola Tinubu can still get northern votes because of Buhari’s supporters, who would never want to betray him. Buhari told them he was in APC, and he died in APC,” Sani said in an interview with Daily Post.

According to him, Buhari’s supporters “would not like to betray him even in the grave.”

Peter Obi cannot be trusted by the North

Sani was unequivocal in his assessment of Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), saying the North has little confidence in his promise to serve only one term.

“The North cannot trust Peter Obi to do just one term. Remember, President Jonathan also pledged to do one term but later reneged,” he said.

He added that Tinubu remains the only southern candidate with a credible claim to a second term, having served just one so far — a key factor for northerners who wish to preserve the zoning balance for national stability.

Zoning further weakens Atiku’s chances

On former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Sani maintained that zoning works against him because he hails from the North.

“The politics of zoning does not favour Atiku, because both southerners and most northerners support zoning in the interest of unity and stability,” he explained.

Sani argued that even if Atiku joined forces with Obi or Rotimi Amaechi, the outcome would remain unchanged, as Nigerians are unconvinced that the opposition offers a clear alternative.

Opposition lacks distinct agenda

He criticised the emerging opposition coalition for failing to articulate a policy agenda that sets it apart from the Tinubu administration:

“The opposition has not told the nation what it will do differently from what the Tinubu administration is already doing,” Sani stated.

Citing the 2023 campaigns, he noted that Tinubu, Atiku, and Obi all supported the removal of fuel subsidy, which left Nigerians with little ideological choice.

“When the results came out, Atiku had 7 million votes, Obi 6.1 million, and Tinubu 8 million. That shows Nigerians were not swayed by the subsidy issue,” he added.

Sani also pointed to growing realignments in the South-South and parts of the South-East, which he believes could further strengthen Tinubu’s chances:

“The South-South and part of the South-East are moving to the APC,” he observed.

El-Rufai has intellect, Kwankwaso has grassroots

On potential political influencers ahead of 2027, Sani described former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as “a very intelligent technocrat but not a street politician.”

In contrast, he called Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso a grassroots mobiliser capable of swinging Kano State:

“Kwankwaso can deliver Kano State. I even foresee him defecting to APC to add political value to himself,” Sani predicted.

With the 2027 presidential race already gathering momentum, Sani’s analysis suggests that the North is more inclined to support Tinubu’s second-term bid, while opposition figures like Atiku and Obi continue to struggle with trust deficits and the complexities of Nigeria’s zoning arrangements.

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