Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has said that former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi is unlikely to secure electoral victories in the country’s core northern region.
Speaking in a recent interview, Musawa likened Obi’s political movement to that of President Muhammadu Buhari in his earlier campaigns, stressing that northern support has always been a decisive factor in national elections.
“There’s nothing that Peter Obi is going to do that’s going to get him elections in the core North. In fact, let me tell you what he reminds me of. Peter Obi reminds me of Buhari. I was a Buharist and I have been a Buharist since 2003. The movement that Peter Obi has reminds me of Buhari’s movement in 2003, 2007, 2011,” Musawa said.
She noted that Buhari’s campaigns struggled without strategic southern support, drawing parallels to Obi’s political challenges.
“This is exactly what we saw, because we saw it was only Buhari. And that was who we saw winning. It was not until we had President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come in to give us that base support in the South that we were able to win. But on our own as Buharists, we were unable to deliver. And this is exactly the same with Governor Peter Obi,” she added.
Musawa’s comments have rekindled discussions about the political inclinations in northern Nigeria and the challenges facing candidates seeking nationwide appeal.
Critics argue that Obi’s support base, largely concentrated in the South, may need broader alliances to make an impact in future elections.
