The Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hon. Hannatu Musa Musawa, has said that Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, does not have the political structure or influence needed to win elections in Northern Nigeria.
Musawa stated that there was little Obi could do to secure significant support in the region, arguing that his political challenge mirrors that of former President Muhammadu Buhari before he finally won the presidency in 2015.
“There’s nothing Peter Obi can do in the North to win elections there,” Musawa said. “He reminds me of Buhari. Buhari tried several times and couldn’t win until Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened.”
She explained that Buhari’s eventual victory was made possible by strategic political alliances, particularly the merger of major opposition parties and the support of key political stakeholders, including President Bola Tinubu, who was then a leading opposition figure.
According to the minister, Obi lacks such a broad-based coalition and the deep-rooted political networks required to penetrate Northern voting blocs, which traditionally play a decisive role in national elections.
Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, enjoys strong support in parts of the South, particularly among youths, but analysts remain divided on his ability to expand that support across the North without significant alliances.
