Businessman and social commentator Isaac Fayose has expressed confidence that Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), can win the 2027 presidential election even without the support of the Igbo community.
Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, made the remarks in a video shared on his official Facebook page on Wednesday. He also criticised some Igbo people supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.
According to Fayose, Obi’s political influence among the Igbo is significant, comparing his recent political profile with that of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
“Any Igbo man supporting this APC government is a wicked Igbo man,” Fayose said, while arguing that no Igbo politician apart from Ojukwu had achieved what Obi has accomplished politically in recent decades.
He further described Igbo people who do not support Obi as “wicked and jealous” and maintained that the former Anambra governor’s chances in the 2027 election would not depend solely on support from the South-East.
Fayose’s comments have added to the ongoing political debate over Peter Obi’s support base, particularly as political parties and aspirants intensify mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, his assertion that Obi will win is a political claim and does not constitute an established election outcome.
The remarks are also significant because political support in Nigeria often cuts across ethnic, regional and religious lines. The South-East remains an important area of political mobilisation, while Obi’s political movement has attracted supporters from different parts of the country.
Fayose has previously publicly reaffirmed his support for Obi after a disagreement between the two men. In July, Obi visited Fayose at his residence, after which Fayose described him as an “incoming president” and declared himself “100 per cent Obidient.”
As the 2027 election approaches, debates over Obi’s national support, regional backing and the choices of individual voters are expected to remain prominent in Nigeria’s political discourse.
