- Ameh said that Obi’s one-term pledge respects Nigeria’s informal rotational leadership agreement between the north and south.
- Ex-IPAC boss also claimed Tinubu’s support base is weakening nationwide, including in the north.
Former national chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Peter Ameh, believes northern Nigerians are backing Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential ambition because of his promise to serve a single term.
Ameh spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, where he analysed the political mood in the region.
According to him, feedback from northern communities shows that Obi is winning acceptance ahead of the next general election.
The ex-IPAC boss, who supported the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 presidential race, said Obi has the competence to turn the country around within four years.
He described the former Anambra State governor as experienced and free from any sense of entitlement, adding that these qualities, along with his character, have strengthened his appeal in the north.
“The north is a very diverse place and a very complex political territory,” Ameh said.
“For me, I don’t think the north is as difficult as people want to make us believe.
“The northern Nigeria that you see today – Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto and all that – his (Obi’s) performance there was very clear, even in Plateau, you saw what he did there.
“We want a free election, that is fair and that is credible. I see them (North) listening to Obi.
“There is no party today that is discussing which candidate should run that Peter Obi is not topping the list even with surveys.
“The clear point today and everybody knows is that when it comes to public discussion, Peter Obi has taken over and he is in charge of the dynamic leading to the 2027 election.
“It pains me today that we talk about North and South. In the last election, 44 per cent was what Peter Obi got in the South and 15.2 per cent in the North.
“If you show Kwankwaso’s result today, he got around one million in the entire country; it’s not about the fact that somebody is from the Southeast or Northeast.”
Ameh noted that Obi has committed to a single term in office to uphold Nigeria’s unwritten power-sharing arrangement.
“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.
He stressed that the country needs a leader who combines compassion, discipline, and a strong character to manage public resources responsibly.
According to him, misaligned and misallocated resources have deprived citizens of the benefits that should have helped them grow.
The former IPAC chair alleged that President Bola Tinubu is losing public support, not only in the north but across the federation.
He claimed that the presidency has been meeting with northern lawmakers to regain political goodwill before the next polls.
“It is clear that the next election is not going to be the same thing,” he said.
“Even the chief of staff is holding meetings with the northern House of Representatives because they know the people are not happy.”
Ameh warned that Obi’s supporters will resist any attempt to manipulate the 2027 election outcome.
He reiterated that Obi has repeatedly pledged to serve only one term, insisting he can achieve his transformation agenda in four years.
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