Atiku Could Lose Adamawa in 2027 If He Picks Obi, Says Omokri

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has warned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar not to choose Peter Obi as his running mate in the 2027 presidential election. He believes this decision could lead to a loss of support, even in Atiku’s home state of Adamawa.

In a detailed post on his X account, Omokri said,

“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.”

Omokri’s warning followed comments from media personality Dele Momodu. In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Momodu suggested an Atiku‑Obi ticket could defeat President Bola Tinubu. Omokri called Momodu’s view naïve and added,

“Just goes to show how gullible Mr Momodu is. I do not know if Mr Momodu has ever lived in Northern Nigeria. I have. Northern Nigeria places value on politics. Yes! But there is one thing they place value on above politics, and that is religion. To be specific, Islam.”

Concerns Over Obi’s Standing in the North

Omokri stressed the strong historical and cultural influence of Islam in Northern Nigeria. He points out that the faith has been important in the region for a thousand years. He worried that Obi’s past comments could turn away Northern Muslim voters:

“And to think that a joint ticket with a man like Peter Obi, who was caught on a leaked audio vowing to unleash religious war on the Muslim Ummah, is going to unseat a strong incumbent just confirms that Dele Momodu should have stuck to glamour journalism rather than make a pivot to politics.”

He referenced several incidents to support his points, including the 2021 killing of Ahmed Gulak, a well-known son of Adamawa. There is also the 2022 murder of Harira Jubril and her four young children in Anambra State. According to Omokri, Obi’s reaction to these tragedies did not address Northern Muslim concerns and showed inconsistency:

“Peter Obi refused to even acknowledge that the incident ever occurred until I publicly and consistently called him out for his hypocrisy. And then he released a tepid, feckless statement, blaming nobody. The exact opposite of the statement he rehearsed after the Deborah Samuel incident. Till today, nobody has been arrested or prosecuted over the murder of Harira and her children.”

Political Implications for Atiku

Omokri concluded that teaming up with Obi could hurt Atiku’s chances in the North, especially among voters who remember past grievances:

“Adamawa residents already had a particular dislike for Peter Obi because of his reaction to the 2021 murder of Ahmed Gulak… Now, add that to the repeat of the same behaviour after the 2022 murder of Harira and her underage children… anybody tying themselves to Peter Obi is playing with fire.”

He also warned that gestures, like donations or mosque visits, would not be enough to ease Northern Muslims’ concerns:

“Peter Obi can donate as many broken-down boreholes as he likes, and visit as many masjids as he likes… But all of those political gimmicks will not make Arewa forget that Obi promised to wipe them and their religion out via a religious war.”

Omokri’s post highlights the challenges that ethnic and religious issues can create for political alliances in Nigeria’s diverse society and adds a new angle to the discussion about opposition ticket strategies ahead of the 2027 elections.