Prof. Usman Yusuf, a former head of Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), says the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for 2027, Peter Obi, is not “sellable” in Northern Nigeria. In an interview with DCL English, Yusuf argues that Obi cannot “penetrate the North” and that Northerners would therefore “interrogate” him. He links his assessment to past political and public positions, including what he describes as Obi’s refusal to disassociate himself from Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB, which the government has declared a terrorist group. Yusuf says Obi should personally address concerns rather than sending “surrogates” and references Kanu’s arrest as part of issues he expects Northern voters to raise. Yusuf also accuses Obi of being “Igbocentric” and says Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign focused heavily on churches and Christians, which he argues makes it difficult for Muslims in the North to feel comfortable with him. The comments frame Obi’s 2027 prospects in the region as dependent on how he responds to these political and security-related criticisms.