Peter Obi Camp Fires Back at Critics Over Anti-North Claims

 The media office of former Anambra State Governor and presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, has strongly denied allegations that he targeted Northerners during his tenure as governor, describing the claims as false, divisive and politically motivated.

In a statement issued on May 24 by his spokesperson, Ibrahim Umar, the Obi media office dismissed accusations that the former governor “repatriated” Northerners from Anambra State or deliberately targeted Northern traders, beggars and residents during his administration. According to the statement, the allegations were part of a sustained campaign aimed at damaging Obi’s political image and creating ethnic tension ahead of the 2027 political season.

The media office maintained that Obi’s administration operated a social welfare and rehabilitation programme designed to assist vulnerable individuals across different ethnic and regional backgrounds, including destitute persons and abandoned minors found in major commercial cities such as Awka and Onitsha. It explained that the programme was purely humanitarian in nature and not directed at any particular ethnic or religious group.

The statement further argued that throughout Obi’s eight-year administration in Anambra State, he maintained cordial relationships with Northern and Muslim communities resident in the state, stressing that his government consistently promoted peaceful coexistence and protected all residents irrespective of origin.

According to the media office, during periods of heightened ethnic and religious tension in parts of Nigeria, Obi’s administration took deliberate steps to safeguard Northern communities in Anambra, especially residents of the Onitsha Hausa Quarter, popularly known as Ama Awusa, from retaliatory violence and attacks.

The statement also claimed that the former governor supported Muslim communities in the state through sponsorship of pilgrimage activities to Mecca and ensured that residents were treated fairly without discrimination based on religion or ethnicity. It added that Northern traders, cattle dealers and livestock merchants operating in areas such as Amansea and other commercial hubs across the state conducted their businesses freely without government-backed intimidation or harassment.

The media office insisted that many members of the Hausa and Fulani communities living in Awka and Onitsha could attest to Obi’s relationship with Northern residents during his time in office. Linking the allegations to current political developments, the statement alleged that certain political actors were deliberately attempting to weaken Obi’s growing relationship with Northern Nigerians by spreading false narratives capable of creating distrust and suspicion.

It argued that Obi has consistently advocated policies focused on unlocking the economic potential of Northern Nigeria, particularly through agriculture, industrialisation and production-driven economic reforms. According to the statement, Obi believes Northern Nigeria remains critical to the country’s long-term economic growth and food security agenda.

The media office further accused critics of distorting Obi’s positions and public record for political advantage, insisting that attempts to portray him as anti-North were inconsistent with his leadership history and public engagements across the country.

It concluded by stating that misinformation campaigns would not distract the former governor from what it described as his broader vision of national unity, economic transformation and inclusive development across all regions of Nigeria.