Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, has said Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is unlikely to gain significant electoral support in Northern Nigeria, insisting that many voters in the region remain uncomfortable with his political profile.

Speaking during an interview on DCL English, Yusuf said Obi faces challenges in penetrating the North because of concerns over his tenure as governor of Anambra State, his perceived association with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and what he described as the religious tone of Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign.

“Peter Obi is not sellable in the North, and this is the honest truth,” Yusuf said. “Peter Obi cannot penetrate the North. End of story.”

According to him, Northerners would scrutinise Obi’s record as governor of Anambra State and seek answers regarding his views on IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Yusuf also alleged that Obi’s 2023 campaign was largely driven by Christian and Igbo sentiments, a development he said made many Muslims in the North uneasy.

He further criticised President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the President should not be allowed to continue as the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot, cannot, and should not be allowed to continue to be the ticket,” he said.

The former NHIS boss, however, expressed support for a potential presidential ticket comprising former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, describing it as the best option for the country.

“I have no doubt today and ever that the ticket that will be best for this country will be Atiku and Amaechi,” Yusuf said.

He cited Amaechi’s experience as a former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term governor, and minister, adding that he enjoys acceptance in parts of Northern Nigeria.

Yusuf maintained that voters in the North reserve the right to support candidates of their choice and rejected the idea of any candidate being imposed on the region.

He also claimed that President Tinubu enjoyed strong support from the Muslim North during the 2023 election but said many of those voters would not back him again.

“These are the candidates we have. We are not going to ask God Almighty to drop another candidate for us,” Yusuf said, referring to the leading contenders ahead of the next presidential election.