According to a report by Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, Victor Umeh, Senator representing Anambra Central, has accused former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff of trying to stir negative sentiment against the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, across Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Umeh made the allegation while responding to remarks made by Sheriff regarding Obi’s chances of securing support from Northern voters in the next presidential election.
The senator’s reaction followed comments made by Sheriff during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
During the programme, the former governor argued that Peter Obi would not receive the support of Northern voters in the 2027 presidential election because, according to him, the former Anambra State governor is a divisive figure, Sheriff maintained that Obi would struggle to gain acceptance across the region.
During the same television interview, Sheriff was reminded that Obi recorded significant votes in states such as Nasarawa and Plateau during the 2023 presidential election.
However, the former Borno governor dismissed the comparison, insisting that the political environment had changed since the last election and that the circumstances surrounding the 2027 contest would be different from those of 2023.
Appearing on the same programme on Tuesday, Umeh rejected Sheriff’s position, describing it as a reflection of outdated political thinking.
He argued that Nigeria had progressed beyond politics built on ethnic or regional divisions and said leaders should focus on fostering national unity instead of promoting narratives capable of creating unnecessary distrust among citizens.
Umeh further stated that Peter Obi remains one of the country’s most respected political figures and continues to champion a message centred on peace, reconciliation and national renewal.
According to the lawmaker, Nigeria’s future depends on healing past divisions and encouraging all citizens to embrace unity rather than allowing old conflicts to influence present-day political choices.
The senator also accused Sheriff of attempting to revive memories of past divisions by suggesting that Northern voters should reject Obi.
He maintained that such comments were capable of creating unnecessary tension and insisted that Nigeria’s democratic progress required leaders who would encourage inclusion, reconciliation and cooperation instead of promoting political narratives rooted in the country’s historical conflicts.
“Anybody who gets up to say the North will not vote for Peter Obi, they are inciting their people against Peter Obi to use that and weaponise a war that ended 56 years ago, that the North should not vote for Peter Obi. Let them remain in the stone age. Nobody is in the stone age anymore. Nigeria is moving. And if you don’t do reconciliation and healing, you cannot move forward, Umeh said….See More