2027: Obi’s Treatment of Northerners as Anambra Governor Will Be Scrutinised — Ex-NHIS Boss

2027: Obi’s Treatment of Northerners as Anambra Governor Will Be Scrutinised — Ex-NHIS Boss

Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Usman Yusuf, has renewed criticism of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, questioning his relationship with Northerners during his tenure as Governor of Anambra State.

Yusuf made the remarks during an interview on Trust TV, amid growing political realignments involving Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

His comments come as speculation continues over a possible political alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso under the emerging National Democratic Congress (NDC), a development political observers say could reshape opposition dynamics ahead of the next presidential election.

There have been reports suggesting that Kwankwaso’s strong northern political base could improve Obi’s acceptance in Northern Nigeria if both leaders eventually form a joint presidential ticket.

However, Yusuf dismissed such possibilities, insisting that Obi’s past actions as governor would remain a major political issue in the North.

“The evil that men do lives after them. The good is often interred with their bones. We are going to interrogate and question Peter Obi’s tenure when he was governor of Anambra State,” he said.

He alleged that Obi’s administration had previously taken actions against Northerners living in Anambra State, including claims that some were required to carry identification documents detailing their names, occupations and places of origin.

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“What he did to Northerners, we all know that. He deported them. He even made them have an ID card, their names, where they are from, what their occupation is, in this Nigeria that we live in,” Yusuf stated.

The deportation controversy referenced by Yusuf relates to reports during Obi’s tenure (2006–2014), when the Anambra State Government was accused by critics of relocating some destitute persons, including non-indigenes, as part of urban sanitation and security enforcement measures. Obi’s supporters have consistently denied allegations of ethnic targeting, insisting the actions were administrative decisions aimed at public order and not directed at any specific group.

Yusuf also referenced Kwankwaso’s political influence, suggesting that the former Kano governor could be used to improve Obi’s acceptance in the North. However, he maintained that Northerners would still critically assess Obi’s past record regardless of any alliance.

“It is this same Kwankwaso that had to fly to Awka and warn them to be careful because there are more Igbo people living peacefully in Kano than Northerners across the South-East,” he said.

“So he will come to the North now and explain to us. And that is why Kwankwaso is the vehicle to sell him to the North. But we have his record to interrogate,” Yusuf added.

When asked about Obi’s frequent references to countries like Malaysia and Bangladesh as models for economic development, Yusuf dismissed them as irrelevant to Nigeria’s challenges.

“We don’t care. We want solutions to our problems,” he said, arguing that insecurity remains the North’s most pressing issue.

He specifically cited insecurity in parts of Northern Nigeria, including Jibia, Safana, Matazu and Maradun, questioning Obi’s understanding of the region’s security challenges.

“I know the North more than he does. He cannot come and tell me about the North,” Yusuf added.

Obi has previously argued that Nigeria can learn from countries that have successfully improved productivity and governance through long-term planning and investment in education and industry. His supporters maintain that his administration in Anambra State was focused on fiscal discipline, infrastructure development and economic reforms rather than ethnic profiling.

The renewed exchange adds to growing political tension ahead of the 2027 presidential race, where coalition talks, regional alignments and past governance records are increasingly shaping political narratives.

2027: Obi’s Treatment of Northerners as Anambra Governor Will Be Scrutinised — Ex-NHIS Boss