Peter Obi is among the presidential candidates vying for the presidency in 2023. Daily News24 brings you a biography of the politician.
Peter Gregory Obi (born July 19, 1961) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as governor of Anambra from March to November 2006, February to May 2007, and June 2007 to March 2014. He is the Labour Party’s nominee for President of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential election.
Early Life and Education
Obi was born in Onitsha, Anambra State, on July 19, 1961. He completed his secondary school education at Christ the King College in Onitsha. He entered the University of Nigeria in 1980 and graduated in 1984 with a B.A. (Hons) in philosophy.
Peter Obi attended Lagos Business School, where he completed the Chief Executive Officer Program; Harvard Business School, where he completed two major programs; the London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, and the International Institute for Management Development, where he received certificates in the Senior Executive Program and the Chief Executive Officer Program, among many others.
Business Career
Because of his intelligence and business acumen, Peter Obi has built a successful business career. He held various management and business positions at a number of well-known companies. These are some of the organizations where he has worked:
Chams Nigeria Ltd, Corp Ltd and Card Centre Ltd, Future View Securities Ltd, Guardian Express Bank Plc, Guardian Express Mortgage Bank Ltd, and many more.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan appointed Peter Obi to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (SEC).
Peter Obi is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), the Nigerian Chartered Institute of Bankers, and the British Institute of Directors (IOD).
Political career
In 2003, Peter Obi ran for governor of Anambra State as a candidate for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), but his opponent, Chris Ngige of the People’s Democratic Party, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
On March 15, 2006, the Court of Appeal overturned Ngige’s victory after nearly three years of litigation. Obi was elected governor on March 17, 2006. After seven months in office, he was impeached by the state house of assembly on November 2, 2006, and was replaced the next day by Virginia Etiaba, his deputy, becoming Nigeria’s first female governor.
Obi successfully challenged his impeachment and was reinstated as governor by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu on 9 February 2007. Following the court ruling, Etiaba returned power to him.
On 7 February 2010, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Peter Obi the winner of the 2010 Anambra State Gubernatorial election, defeating Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Governor Obi’s election victory extended his tenure as governor of Anambra State for another four years.
Peter Obi completed his second term on March 17, 2014, and handed over the governorship to Willie Obiano.
2023 presidential candidacy & Obidient Movement
On March 24, 2022, Peter Obi declared his intention to run for President of Nigeria on the Peoples Democratic Party platform, but later withdrew and announced he would run on the Labour Party platform instead.
Obi reportedly complained about massive delegate bribery and vote buying during the party’s presidential primary, citing the existence of a party clique working against him.
Younger generations under 30 proved to be some of Obi’s most ardent supporters, demonstrating their support through social media, protests, and street marches. Aisha Yesufu, a prominent activist and co-founder of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, as well as a supporter of the End SARS campaign, endorsed Obi in her first presidential endorsement.
Commentators have argued that Obi’s third-party candidacy appeals to young voters dissatisfied with the two major parties, which has resulted in one of the biggest political movements in recent Nigerian history.
Networth
Peter Obi’s net worth is about $10 million
