Obi Campaign Raises Alarm over Alleged Northern Whisper Campaign

The Peter Obi Media Office has raised the alarm over what it described as a renewed “whisper campaign” against the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, in some northern rural communities ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a statement signed on Saturday by the spokesman of the Peter Obi Media Office, Idris Zekeri Jrn., the campaign alleged that some individuals were spreading false claims about Obi’s relationship with northerners during his tenure as governor of Anambra State.

The media office said the alleged campaign was being conducted covertly at gatherings in northern communities, with the aim of creating suspicion about Obi among voters in the region.

It, however, maintained that the allegations had previously been dismissed by northern leaders resident in Anambra State, who, according to the statement, had affirmed Obi’s support for them while he was governor and after leaving office.

The statement said the alleged falsehoods had continued despite “credible denials from Northern leaders in Anambra State”, who had described Obi as a vital supporter of their community.

The media office challenged those behind the allegations to substantiate their claims with evidence rather than relying on anonymous or unverified accusations.

“We challenge those behind this campaign to provide names, dates, records, and verifiable evidence supporting their allegations,” it said, while urging them to stop hiding behind what it called whispered accusations and political propaganda.

Obi served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2013, and his political supporters have increasingly sought to position him as a candidate with appeal beyond his South-East base ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The media office argued that his administration was not based on ethnic or religious considerations, insisting that he governed the state on behalf of all its residents.

“Peter Obi governed Anambra State for all its residents, regardless of ethnicity or religion,” the statement said.

It added that his relationship with Nigerians from northern states was not defined by the allegations currently being circulated for political purposes.

The development comes as political parties and presidential hopefuls begin to intensify their mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections, with ethnicity and regional voting patterns expected to remain significant factors in the contest.

The Obi camp attributed the alleged campaign to attempts by political opponents to undermine his standing in northern Nigeria, arguing that those unable to challenge his record of governance were resorting to ethnic narratives.

“The timing is revealing,” the statement said, arguing that the campaign was emerging as the 2027 election approached.

According to the media office, those seeking to diminish Obi’s electoral prospects should engage his record on competence, integrity and public service rather than rely on rumours.

It consequently urged northern voters to independently verify claims being made about the former Anambra governor and assess political candidates on their policies and records.

“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 warned that continued reliance on ethnic suspicion and misinformation could further deepen divisions in the country at a time when Nigerians were seeking solutions to economic and security challenges.

It called for political discourse ahead of the 2027 election to focus on issues capable of addressing the country’s problems rather than narratives designed to divide voters along ethnic or religious lines.

“Nigeria cannot be rebuilt by weaponising lies that have long divided its people,” the statement said, concluding with its campaign slogan: “Enough of the lies. Let the facts speak for a new Nigeria that is Possible.”