Peter Ameh, a former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has stated that the northern region of Nigeria is showing growing support for Labour Party’s Peter Obi and his proposal to serve a single presidential term.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, August 7, Ameh said, “I am from northern Nigeria and we know, as I speak today, that the current available decision of our people favours Peter Obi.”
According to him, Obi’s pledge to serve only four years if elected in 2027 resonates strongly across the region.
He argued that the former Anambra governor possesses the capacity to turn the country around within that period.
Ameh added that Obi does not share President Bola Tinubu’s attitude of entitlement to power.
Importantly, he attributed Obi’s acceptance in the North to his proven leadership, moral integrity, and human-centred style of governance.
“The north is a very diverse place and a very complex political territory. For me, I don’t think the north is as difficult as people want to make us believe,” Ameh said.
He highlighted Obi’s performance in several northern states during the 2023 election, including Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, and Plateau, noting it as proof of the region’s political openness.
“We want a free election, that is fair and that is credible,” he added.
Furthermore, he pointed out that Obi’s commitment to fairness by not disrupting Nigeria’s informal zoning arrangement has further endeared him to voters in the North.
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“Peter Obi has made an emphatic statement and a public declaration that ‘I want to do only one term so that I don’t tilt the balance of our unwritten arrangement,’” he said.
Additionally, Ameh described President Tinubu as rejected not only by the northern electorate but by struggling Nigerians across the country.
He claimed Tinubu’s government is scrambling to appease key northern stakeholders due to widespread dissatisfaction.
“It is clear that the next election is not going to be the same thing. That is why you see the struggle to give appointments and change certain things by the government.
“Even the Chief of Staff (Femi Gbajabiamila) is holding meetings with the northern House of Representatives because they know the people are not happy,” Ameh stated.
He concluded by saying that efforts are underway to protect Obi’s support base and ensure credible elections in 2027.
“We are going to challenge all the illegal processes that were used to undermine our voters and the outcome of the election, and we are going to put mechanisms in place to defend the popularity that Peter Obi has gotten and the acceptance he now enjoys.”
Notably, Obi has reaffirmed his intention to serve only one term if elected, stressing the need to uphold Nigeria’s informal north-south power rotation.
Following Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year presidency, Tinubu, a southerner, assumed office in May 2023.
Although Tinubu is seeking re-election in 2027, critics have increasingly blamed his administration for worsening hardship across the country due to recent economic policies.