The Peter Obi Media Office has dismissed allegations that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, harbours hostility toward people from Northern Nigeria or ordered their removal during his time as governor of Anambra State.
In a statement signed by spokesperson Ibrahim Umar, the office said the claims being circulated in political discussions were false and not supported by any record of governance.
The statement read in part: “Peter Obi’s media office has observed the ongoing, unfounded, and completely harmful accusations that are trying to distort Mr. Obi’s record in governance.”
It added that suggestions of ethnic targeting or forced removal were incorrect. “The claim that Obi ‘brought back’ Northerners or specifically focused on Northern traders and beggars during his time as governor is completely untrue,” the statement said.
According to the media office, Obi’s administration instead implemented social welfare measures aimed at vulnerable groups across different backgrounds. “During Obi’s time as a leader, there was a caring social welfare program aimed at helping poor people and unaccompanied children from different states who were in great need in Awka and Onitsha,” it stated.
The office also rejected claims of ethnic exclusion, stressing that no expulsion policy existed. “There was never any kind of ‘expulsion’ or ethnic cleansing; rather, there was a well-organized social rehabilitation program that helped people from all over the country,” it said.
It further noted that Obi maintained engagement with Northern and Muslim communities in the state, particularly in areas with established Hausa populations such as the Onitsha Hausa Quarter (Ama Awusa).
The statement added that during periods of tension, his administration worked to prevent reprisals and maintain peace, saying he “put in a lot of effort to stop any revenge attacks in Anambra area, which gained him a lot of respect from local leaders in the North.”
The media office concluded that the allegations were politically motivated and did not reflect documented actions of his time in office.
