Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has been described as a political liability by Reno Omokri, ex-presidential aide to Goodluck Jonathan.
Omokri, Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, warned that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar risks losing political support in his home state of Adamawa State if he chooses former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as his running mate in the 2027 presidential election.
Omokri revealed this in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, in response to statements made by media entrepreneur Dele Momodu.
While admitting that he admires Atiku, Omokri suggested that picking Obi as a running mate may alienate people in the country’s north, where religion and historical events frequently impact political decisions.
“With all due respect, if Waziri Atiku Abubakar makes the mistake of running with Peter Obi in 2027, he may lose even Adamawa because of the political liability that Peter Obi has become in the North.
“Waziri Atiku Abubakar is formidable, and I would never criticize him based on the immense respect I have for him. But to suggest that an Atiku–Obi ticket would defeat President Bola Tinubu shows a misunderstanding of Northern political realities,” Omokri said.
According to the former presidential adviser, religious issues frequently influence political decisions in the region, which he believes may have an impact on voter perception.
He also claimed that some residents of Adamawa still harbor resentment over Obi’s reaction to the 2021 killing of Ahmed Gulak in Owerri.
Gulak, who hailed from Adamawa State, was shot dead by gunmen in 2021.
Omokri claims that Obi’s response to the May 2022 assassination of a pregnant mother, Harira Jubril, and her children in Anambra State exacerbated the problem.
“Now add that to the repeat of the same behavior after the murder of Harira and her underage children by suspected IPOB/ESN elements in Peter Obi’s home state and his refusal to condemn the incident, and anybody tying themselves to Peter Obi is playing with fire,” he said.
He also argued that symbolic political gestures, such as visits to mosques or donations to communities, would not necessarily erase past grievances among some Northern voters.
“Nigeria, as one of the most multicultural, multireligious, multiethnic, and multiracial countries on Earth, needs leaders who are sensitive to these differences,” Omokri added.
