Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide and political commentator, has intensified his criticism of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, warning Northern Nigeria (commonly referred to as Mutanen Arewa) against supporting any political coalition that presents Obi as its presidential candidate.
Omokri drew a sharp historical parallel between Nigeria and Cameroon, warning that the North might suffer a fate similar to that of Northern Cameroon following the resignation of its first President, Ahmadou Ahidjo, in 1982.
He said, “If Arewa makes the mistake of supporting a coalition and giving their presidential ticket to Peter Obi, they will end up experiencing what Northern Cameroon went through after Ahidjo stepped down. Go back and study history.”
He explained that in Cameroon, the Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups—closely related to Northern Nigeria’s majority—are now some of the most politically marginalized communities in the country. According to Omokri, Paul Biya, who succeeded Ahidjo, reneged on the promises made to the former leader and his people.
“Paul Biya kept none of the promises he made to Ahidjo. Today, the Hausa and Fulani are the most marginalised ethnicities in Cameroon,” Omokri said.
Omokri argued that Northern Nigerians have a trustworthy ally in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as a southerner who has consistently stood by the North.
“In Nigeria, Mutanen Arewa have a Southern friend they can trust—President Bola Tinubu. He demonstrated loyalty and integrity by backing General Buhari’s presidential bids, helping him to finally secure victory after three failed attempts.”
He stressed that Tinubu’s political partnership with Buhari was pivotal in 2015, noting, “General Buhari contested three times and failed, but when Asiwaju Tinubu supported him in 2015, that loyalty made all the difference. It led to Buhari’s victory.”
Omokri questioned whether Arewa would abandon such a tested relationship in favor of Peter Obi, whom he accused of harboring sectarian biases.
“Now, do you really want to turn your back on Tinubu and hand power to a man who was heard in a leaked phone call plotting a ‘religious war’ against the Muslim Ummah? A man who has made several insensitive remarks about Northerners?”
He also recalled Peter Obi’s controversial stance on IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra), claiming that Obi once defended the group by denying they were terrorists.
“Peter Obi once claimed IPOB was not a terrorist group. So who, then, was responsible for the gruesome murder of Harira, a pregnant Arewa woman from Adamawa, and her four daughters—Fatima, 9; Khadijah, 7; Hadiza, 5; and Zaituna, 2—killed in broad daylight in Orumba South, Anambra State?”
Omokri went further to ask who killed Ahmed Gulak, a Northern politician, in Owerri in May 2021. He also pointed out that despite ongoing violence and forced sit-at-home orders in the Southeast, Peter Obi has not publicly condemned IPOB or their tactics.
“Millions of innocent citizens in the Southeast are still being forced into the notorious Monday sit-at-home. Has Obi ever openly denounced IPOB or their actions?”
Highlighting what he described as tone-deaf political appointments, Omokri accused Peter Obi of insensitivity by appointing individuals from his ethnic background to lead campaign efforts in key Northern and Yoruba states.
“In Sokoto, the most Islamic state in Nigeria and the seat of the Caliphate, Obi chose Ifeanyi Ezeagu as his state campaign coordinator. For Lagos, he picked John Ezeigbe. And this is the man asking for your trust?”
He also ridiculed Obi’s promise to serve only one term if elected president, doubting his ability to keep that commitment based on past behavior.
“This is a man who once made promises to the late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu—promises he didn’t keep. Can such a man now keep a pledge to Arewa?”
Omokri concluded with a stern warning, “Believe Peter Obi at your own peril. If you do, then be prepared for the ‘Cameroon treatment.”