Former National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) executive secretary Usman Yusuf has renewed allegations against Peter Obi over his record as governor of Anambra State, saying northerners will be closely scrutinised should Obi seek to broaden his appeal in the region.
Yusuf made the remarks in an interview on Trust TV amid reports that Obi and former Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the newly formed National Democratic Congress (NDC). Political analysts have speculated the two could form a presidential and vice‑presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
“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,” Yusuf said. “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 argued that any alliance with Kwankwaso would not erase what he described as Obi’s past actions. “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.”
When reminded that Obi has publicly spoken about the North’s agricultural and economic potential, Yusuf dismissed the argument, saying the former Labour Party presidential candidate lacked sufficient understanding of the region. “I know the North more than he does. He cannot come and tell me about the North,” he said, adding that insecurity remains the region’s biggest challenge and questioning Obi’s ability to address problems in places such as Jibia, Safana, Matazu and Maradu.
Yusuf also criticised Obi’s frequent references to Asian economic models, saying: “I’ve seen him come and give all these bogus numbers, Bangladesh this, Malaysia this. We don’t care. We want solutions to our problems.”
The deportation controversy cited by Yusuf stems from reports during Obi’s tenure that some destitute persons were relocated from Anambra. Obi’s allies have consistently denied allegations of ethnic targeting, saying the relocations were administrative and security measures.
Neither Obi nor Kwankwaso responded to requests for comment during the broadcast.
