The camp of the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has stepped up efforts to strengthen his support in Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The Peter Obi Media Office, in a statement on Saturday, accused unnamed political interests of running a “whisper campaign” aimed at portraying the former Anambra State governor as hostile to Northerners.
The media office said the allegations were being circulated at gatherings in some Northern communities, with those behind them allegedly relying on repeated claims rather than verifiable evidence.
Obi’s camp dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, arguing that his record as Anambra governor contradicted claims that he discriminated against people based on ethnicity or religion.
The media office challenged those promoting the allegations to provide names, dates, official records and other evidence to support their claims.
It said Obi governed Anambra for all residents and that Northern leaders in the state had previously spoken against claims that he was hostile to Northerners.
The statement urged Northern voters to carefully assess political claims ahead of the 2027 election and distinguish between facts and campaign propaganda.
“We urge our brothers and sisters in the North to seek facts, not rumours; evidence, not whispers; and policies, not propaganda,” the statement said.
The media office, signed by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, also accused political opponents of using ethnic narratives to weaken Obi’s growing support rather than challenging his record on competence and public service.
It warned that exploiting ethnic divisions for electoral gain could further deepen distrust among Nigerians.
The Obi camp called for the 2027 election to be fought on issues, policies and performance rather than narratives aimed at creating divisions between regions.
