Peter Obi says he was not against the North and never expelled them as Anambra governor – media office

The Peter Obi Media Office (POMR) has responded to claims that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful is hostile toward people from the North. According to POMR, certain politicians are deliberately spreading falsehoods that Peter Obi, during his tenure as governor of Anambra State, expelled Northern traders and beggars from the region.

Ibrahim Umar, spokesperson for POMR, stated that no “expulsion” or ethnic cleansing occurred while Obi was governor. In a signed statement, Umar said that, contrary to the negative narratives being circulated by those seeking political discord, Obi’s administration fostered strong, friendly ties with Northern and Muslim communities in Anambra.

The statement read: “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. Peter Obi, who used to be the Governor of Anambra State, had notable interactions with people from Northern Nigeria while he was in office.”

“It is unfortunate, but not surprising, that political rivals who cannot face Mr. are resorting to this. Obi’s outstanding track record of being responsible, managing finances well, and promoting development has once more fallen victim to old and damaging methods of dividing people by their ethnicity and region.”

“To make it clear for well‑informed Nigerians, we want to strongly say: The repeated false idea that Mr. Obi brought back Northerners or specifically focused on Northern traders and beggars during his time as governor is completely untrue.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Documents from his eight years in office show that even when the country faced serious ethnic and religious conflicts, Mr. Obi acted as a guardian for the Northern community, especially in areas such as the Onitsha Hausa Quarter (Ama Awusa). 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.”