A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alwan Hassan, has ruled out the possibility of the North supporting Labour Party’s Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, citing the latter’s involvement in alcohol-related business ventures.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Hassan criticised Obi for celebrating the growth of a brewery in Anambra State, stating that such ventures are at odds with the conservative religious values of Northern Nigeria.
“Who else do you think will defeat Asiwaju in 2027? Peter Obi, who was on your programme saying he wants the North to support him, was also celebrating a brewery and is the biggest importer of alcohol,” Hassan said. “And you want the North to vote for him? We will vote for a president that will import alcohol into the North?”
Hassan argued that Obi’s business interests make him an unsuitable candidate for a region that adheres to strict Islamic principles, suggesting that the North would reject any candidate whose activities contradict those values.
Obi, who has declared his intention to run in 2027 with a one-term pledge, has faced growing criticism from ruling party figures since his announcement.
Hassan also dismissed the opposition coalition formed under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as lacking cohesion and a clear agenda. The alliance, which comprises leading political figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Peter Obi, was recently unveiled as a united front ahead of the next general elections.
