Peter Obi‘s strong showing in the 2023 presidential election drew significant support from religious and tribal sentiments. Hon. Leke Abejide, a Kogi State representative, made this claim during a recent interview.
He highlighted how Northern Christians voted for Obi due to concerns over potential limits on their faith under a Bola Tinubu presidency.
Abejide’s Key Assertions
Abejide stated that many voters believed a Tinubu win would threaten religious freedoms. However he noted that President Tinubu has proven otherwise since taking office. “People, especially the Northern Christians, believed that they would be in trouble if Asiwaju came in as president,” Abejide explained on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Additionally he emphasized Tinubu’s non-extremist stance on religion.
Moreover Abejide criticized efforts to recreate the 2023 dynamics for future elections. He called such strategies faulty and unrealistic. For instance, he dismissed ideas of combining Obi’s votes with those of Atiku Abubakar to defeat the APC in 2027.
The Political Context
Obi, the former Labour Party candidate, defected to the African Democratic Congress on December 31, 2025. This move sparked discussions about opposition alliances.
Abejide, an ADC member himself, questioned the validity of Obi’s party registration process. In addition, Obi’s 2023 campaign focused on competence and economic reforms, though critics argue identity politics played a role.
Furthermore Nigerian elections often involve ethnic and religious appeals. The APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023 faced similar accusations of bias. Supporters of Obi point out these tactics as hypocritical when leveled against him.
Reactions and Criticisms
The statement ignited mixed responses online. Some APC supporters agreed, predicting a drop in Obi’s momentum by up to 50%. However Obi’s backers called the claims laughable and propagandistic. One critic remarked that accusing Obi of tribal politics exposes lies, citing APC’s ethnic campaigns.
At the same time, social media commentators also debated the issue of tribalism and Obi’s supporters. While some argued that the southeast supported Obi on a tribalistic basis, others argued in his defence.
Implications for the 2027 Elections
As Nigeria readies for the year 2027, politics of identity appears to be one of the critical variables to consider. Abejide echoed the sentiment that the future might end up being disappointing if the country relies on emotions. However Obi has neither commented nor reacted to the statement.
