Sheriff accuses Obi of secret Biafra agenda 

 Ali Modu Sheriff,  the former Borno State governor has launched a fierce attack on Peter Obi, accusing the presidential candidate of secretly pursuing the division of Nigeria through his political ambitions.

 

Speaking Monday on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Sheriff claimed Obi’s alleged refusal to condemn the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or its secessionist ideology makes him “the most unqualified person” to demand President Bola Tinubu’s resignation over national insecurity.

 

The controversy erupted following an ultimatum from Sheriff, who challenged the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer to appear publicly and clear his name.

“Peter Obi, up to this moment, is pursuing the division of Nigeria,” Sheriff stated during the broadcast. “How? Because he believes in Biafra. He never condemned Biafra. He never condemned IPOB. Biafra is secession. Our leaders fought to keep the country together. He wants to divide Nigeria.”

 

Sheriff invoked the memory of the Nigerian Civil War, arguing that past leaders from both the North and South including Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, and T.Y. Danjuma shed blood to preserve national unity. He insisted that anyone seeking to lead Nigeria must remain fiercely committed to its indivisibility, rather than pushing sectional agendas. “He should deny it,” Sheriff added, directly confronting Obi. “He should come to this station and say he doesn’t believe in dividing the country.”

 

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This sharp rebuke follows a series of public demands from Obi calling on President Tinubu to step aside. Within the last few weeks, the former Anambra State governor has twice demanded the president’s resignation, citing a “monumental failure” in tackling Nigeria’s worsening economic and security challenges.

On June 22, Obi urged Tinubu to yield office, comparing the situation to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s accountability standards. He renewed the call on Sunday, pointing to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report regarding unrecorded public spending as evidence of “grand corruption” under the current administration.

While political analysts note the friction underscores a deepening ideological divide ahead of future elections, Obi has yet to formally respond to Sheriff’s allegations.