The Peter Obi classmate saga has taken a new turn after an X user offered ₦5 million to anyone who can identify a UNN coursemate who graduated alongside Obi.
NSUKKA, ENUGU — A social-media challenge over former Anambra State governor Peter Obi’s university days has gained attention after X user Bayo Bilisi offered ₦5 million to anyone who can produce the name of a person who graduated alongside Obi from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1984.
According to Bilisi’s challenge, members of the Obidient Movement have one week to identify an individual who studied with Obi at the university and graduated in the same period. He also proposed an escrow arrangement involving X personality Wizarab10 to hold the money while participants provide evidence.
I am available for y'all https://t.co/nxpxJtB7r3 pic.twitter.com/rFrZwcFGJK
— Bayo Bilisi (Back Up) (@Bayo_Bilisi) September 14, 2026
Analysis by Newstridez show that the challenge centres on Obi’s publicly documented university history, rather than evidence that the former governor had no classmates. Available biographical records state that Obi entered the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1980 and graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy.
Bilisi directed the challenge specifically at supporters of Obi, who are popularly known as Obidients. He asked them to provide the name of someone who attended UNN with Obi and graduated with him, while stressing that he wanted evidence rather than claims made on social media.
The challenge has since turned a question about an old university record into a political talking point, particularly because Obi remains one of the prominent figures positioning himself for the 2027 presidential election. Obi joined the New Democratic Congress, NDC, in 2026 and was ratified as the party’s presidential candidate in May.
Bilisi reportedly used the phrase “No be Cho Cho Cho” while presenting the challenge, signalling that he expected participants to produce verifiable evidence. His proposed escrow arrangement was also aimed at giving the wager a measure of accountability rather than leaving it as a simple social-media claim.
The amount involved has helped the issue gain wider attention. At ₦5 million, the proposed reward is large enough to turn what could ordinarily be a debate among political supporters into a financial challenge requiring someone to provide documentary or first-hand evidence.
For Nigerians following the 2027 political contest, however, the issue is more about how political information spreads online than the money itself. Supporters and opponents of major candidates regularly use personal history, old records and claims about political figures to strengthen arguments for or against them.
The Peter Obi classmate challenge does not, by itself, establish that Obi did not have classmates at UNN. A person making such a claim would need to produce credible evidence from university records, graduation materials, contemporary photographs, classmates or other reliable sources before the allegation could be independently established.
Data reviewed by Newstridez indicates that Obi’s publicly available biography consistently identifies UNN as part of his educational background. He studied Philosophy there from 1980 and graduated in 1984, according to the biographical information reviewed in reports on the challenge.
The distinction is important because a university coursemate and a person who graduated in exactly the same year are not necessarily the same thing. A student could have attended the same university or department but completed the programme at a different time.
Bilisi’s challenge, as reported, specifically asks for someone who graduated alongside Obi. That means simply identifying a person who attended UNN during Obi’s university years may not settle the wager. Participants would need evidence showing that the person studied alongside him and completed the programme in the same period.
The debate also highlights the difficulty of verifying claims about events that happened more than four decades ago. University records, alumni documents and personal archives could provide stronger evidence than screenshots, reposts or anonymous social-media comments.
Newstridez reviewed the available reports surrounding the challenge and found no evidence in the material reviewed that Bilisi had established that Obi had no classmates. His post represents a challenge to Obi’s supporters to produce a specific name and supporting evidence.
Obi’s supporters have previously maintained a strong online presence, particularly since his 2023 presidential campaign. The Obidient Movement became one of the most visible political support groups on Nigerian social media, with many young Nigerians using online platforms to promote his campaign and political ideas.
That strong online presence has also made Obidients frequent targets of political challenges and fact-checking disputes. Claims involving Obi’s education, business history, political record and personal background often attract rapid reactions from both supporters and critics.
The latest challenge arrives as political parties and their supporters increasingly position themselves for the 2027 election. Obi’s movement into the NDC has added another layer to the political contest, with his supporters expected to remain active online as the campaign season approaches.
Meanwhile, the ₦5 million wager remains a social-media challenge rather than an official investigation into Obi’s educational records. Neither the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, nor Obi was cited in the report as confirming the wager or accepting its terms.
The strongest evidence in the current discussion remains Obi’s documented university history. Publicly available records identify him as a UNN alumnus who studied Philosophy and graduated in 1984. Those records, however, do not provide a complete list of every student who attended his class or graduated alongside him.
The issue has therefore moved beyond a simple question of whether Obi attended UNN. The challenge now requires participants to identify a specific coursemate and establish the person’s connection to Obi through credible evidence.
For political supporters, the episode is another reminder that claims made during heated online debates can quickly become public tests of credibility. For journalists and readers, the proper response is to separate a wager or allegation from independently verified facts.
As at the time of filing this report, Bilisi had offered ₦5 million and given respondents one week to produce the name of a UNN coursemate who graduated alongside Peter Obi. No independently verified evidence confirming the identity of such a person had emerged in the sources reviewed by Newstridez.
The challenge is expected to generate more reactions online as the deadline approaches. Unless participants produce verifiable university records or credible first-hand evidence, the wager will remain a social-media challenge rather than proof of any claim about Obi’s university classmates.
