Northern Leaders Break Silence, Clear Peter Obi Over Mosque Demolition Claims

Hausa and northern community leaders in Anambra State have rejected allegations that former governor and presidential candidate Peter Obi discriminated against northerners during his tenure,

According to IREPORTERONLINE, representatives of the Hausa and Northern communities in Awka and Onitsha made the clarification while addressing journalists on Sunday.

The community leaders said their relationship with Obi remained cordial throughout his time as governor and continued after he left office. They maintained that members of their communities benefited from several initiatives introduced by his administration, including free education, agricultural loans and sponsorship for religious pilgrimages.

The leaders, including Mahmud Ibrahim, secretary of the Hausa Community in Onitsha and Northern Community in Anambra and Delta States; Alhaji Garba Haruna, traditional ruler of the Hausa community in Awka; and Alhaji Gidado Sidikki, chairman of the Northern Community in Anambra State, described the allegations against Obi as politically motivated.

Ibrahim explained that the mosque referenced in the allegation was demolished in February 2006 during a reprisal following the Sharia crisis, before Obi assumed office as governor in March of the same year.

He said Obi subsequently visited members of the affected community who were taking refuge at an Army barracks and later accompanied them to the site of the demolished mosque. According to him, the former governor also contributed financially toward the rebuilding of the mosque.

On the issue of identity cards, Ibrahim clarified that the Northern community itself had decided to issue identification cards to its members for administrative purposes. He added that the Anambra State Identification System (ANIDS) card was not targeted at northerners but was issued to residents across the state, including government officials.

Haruna also dismissed claims of discrimination, saying he did not witness any significant division between indigenes and non-indigenes during Obi’s administration.

He said members of his family benefited from the former governor’s free education programme, while he personally benefited from sponsorship for the Hajj pilgrimage.

Haruna added that Obi had maintained a cordial relationship with the northern community even after leaving office, noting that he continued to attend community events and send gifts during Salah celebrations.

Similarly, Sidikki said he was a beneficiary of an agricultural loan provided during Obi’s administration, revealing that he received ₦10 million at the time.

He said the loan scheme was available to members of the community without discrimination and claimed that the former governor later settled the outstanding loans on their behalf.

Sidikki also disclosed that his son benefited from Obi’s free education programme and later proceeded to China for a PhD.

The community leaders maintained that their experiences contradicted claims that Obi discriminated against northerners while serving as governor, insisting that the allegations were being circulated for political reasons and aimed at damaging his reputation.

describing claims that he demolished their mosque or forced them to obtain identification cards as false.