A viral flyer circulating on social media has falsely attributed a controversial statement about Yoruba Muslims to Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). The flyer, which used a screenshot from Obi's appearance on Arise Television, claimed he said: "The Yoruba Muslims are not practising real Islam. Real Islam is being practised only in the North; that's why the president should do Sallah in Sokoto or Kano."
The flyer spread widely on Thursday, September 11, 2026, drawing hundreds of reposts and reactions online. One X user, @Sistaliano, posted the image with the caption: "This is an insult to the Yorubas, especially Muslims. Somebody needs to call this fool to order. What is this fgs?" The post gathered over 130 reposts, 250 comments, and 250 likes. Another user, @YemmyAj, shared the same flyer with the caption: "Give Peter Obi mic, and he will campaign against himself."
Fact-Checkers Review Full Arise TV Interview
Fact-checkers at CableCheck watched the full video of the Arise Television interview, which ran for under 50 minutes and was published on YouTube. They found that Obi made no such remark about Yoruba Muslims anywhere in the interview. The only comment he made that touched on Islam was about where he would spend the Sallah holidays if elected president.
Obi criticised President Bola Tinubu for marking the occasion in Lagos, saying he would use such moments to foster national unity. "Sallah and everything, he (Tinubu) spends in Lagos. A Muslim. I will go to Sokoto and spend the Sallah with the Sultan and bring everybody together, and we will discuss the future. I will go to Kano," Obi said during the interview, according to the fact-check report.
Verdict: The Claim Is False
The claim that Peter Obi said Yoruba Muslims are not practising real Islam is false. The quote in the viral flyer does not appear anywhere in the Arise Television interview, and no other verified source supports the attribution. Obi resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on May 2, 2026, and was ratified as the NDC presidential candidate on May 29, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Separately, Legit.ng reported that Obi made bold claims about his 2027 presidential ambitions during an exclusive interview with Arise News. The former Anambra state governor singled out the North as the region that stands to benefit most from his administration. Obi argued that northern poverty predates fuel subsidy removal and that agriculture holds the key to solving the region's problems.
