Peter Obi

Peter Gregory Obi (; born 19 July 1961) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who was the Governor of Anambra State under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 17 March 2006 to 3 November 2006, when he was impeached. He was reinstated on 9 February 2007 and continued his tenure until 2010. He was reelected for his second term until 7 March 2014. A member of the Labour Party since 2022, he was the presidential candidate in the 2023 Nigerian presidential election.

Born in Onitsha, Anambra, Obi graduated from Christ the King College, Onitsha and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He began his career in banking and later went into politics. He contested for the office of the Anambra State Governor in 2003 under the All Progressives Grand Alliance. Victory in the election was awarded to Chris Ngige, who was subsequently sworn in as the governor. Obi successfully challenged this outcome in court and was declared the duly elected candidate, becoming the governor of the state on 17 March, 2006.

Obi's administration was however interrupted shortly after as he was removed from office by the state assembly 3 November, 2006. The state assembly cited "gross misconduct" on the part of Obi for its action. Obi headed once more to court, as the position of Governor devolved to his deputy, Dame Virginia Etiaba. He was restored to office and resumed as governor 9 February, 2007. Obi was yet to complete his tenure when another election was held to fill the position: the electoral body, INEC, was more interested in keeping to its schedule of elections than consideration of fairness to Obi. This "election" produced Andy Uba of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor. His swearing in on 29 May, 2007 meant forcible removal of Obi from the governorship seat. Obi was yet once more compelled to seek judicial help. The Supreme Court upheld Obi's position, overturning another illegality to enable Obi serve out his governorship from 14 June, 2007 to 17 March, 2010. Obi successfully ran for re-election and subsequently held the governorship till 17 March, 2014 when he handed over to his successor, Willie Obiano.

Obi sought the Nigerian vice presidential nomination in 2019, along Atiku Abubakar after decamping to Peoples Democratic Party but lost to Muhammadu Buhari. He became a member of the Labour Party in 2022 and was handed the presidential ticket by Patrick Utomi during the primary election of the party. He selected Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as the vice presidential candidate for the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, and their ticket lost to president and vice president, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima. Obi's presidential campaign has been described as populist, especially with firing up a group of supporters called the 'Obidients'.

Early life and education

Obi was born on 19 July 1961, in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria, to a devout Christian family from the Igbo town of Agulu. He had his secondary education at Christ the King College, Onitsha, where he obtained his West African Examination Council (WAEC). In 1980, he enrolled in the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Enugu State, where he studied Philosophy until his graduation in 1984. Obi studied at Lagos Business School, International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland, Harvard Business School, Saïd Business School in England, Cambridge Judge Business School, and Kellogg School of Management.

Career

Governorship

Obi contested for the Governor of Anambra State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance in 2003, but lost to Chris Ngige. Ngiges win in the election was overturned in 2006 by the Court of Appeal, after a ruling at Enugu, which declared Obi the winner of the 2003 election, and he resumed office on 17 March 2006. Obi was impeached on 3 November 2006 by the Anambra State House of Assembly led by the speaker Mike Balonwu. After refusal of participating in the election in April 2007, which would later be won by Andy Uba, Obi challenged the impeachment, which was annulled by the Supreme court of Nigeria. Obi was re-instated on 14 June 2007. On 7 February 2010, Obi won the Anambra State election, and served his second term until 17 March 2014, when he was succeeded by Willie Obiano. After the 2015 General Election, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Obi as the chairman of the Nigerian Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and on 12 October 2018, Obi was named as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar under the Peoples Democratic Party's for the presidential election in 2019. Obi was the third in the results.

Presidential Campaign

On 24 March 2022, Obi declared his intention to run for President of Nigeria under the party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Afterwards, he pulled out, announcing that he will be running under the Labour Party instead. According to the Nigerian newspaper ''Peoples Gazette'', Obi wrote to the leaders of PDP on 24 May 2022, to resign his membership, as well as reportedly complained of massive bribing of delegates and vote buying during the party's presidential primary, citing the existence of a party clique collaborating against him. Obi's business background and status as a major candidate unaffiliated with either of Nigeria's two main parties has drawn comparisons with Emmanuel Macron's successful 2017 French presidential election.

Obidient movement

During the 2023 Presidential election campaign, people under 30 proved to be some of the biggest Obi's supporters, showing their support via social media, protests and street marches. Aisha Yesufu endorsed Obi in her first-ever endorsement of a presidential candidate. Young supporters of Obi's campaign were generally called the "Obidients", which was coined from his name "Obi". In a ''Business Day'' opinion article, Chikwurah Isiguzo argued that: Political commentators have generally argued that Obi's third party candidacy appeals to young voters dissatisfied with the two major parties, which has resulted in the "biggest political movement in recent Nigerian history." With his core message of prudence and accountability, Obi has managed to gain the backing of voters for his previously largely unknown Labour Party into a strong third force against two political heavyweights, APC and PDP. Before campaigns were officially kicked off, Obi's supporters held a series of ''One Million Man Marches'' in several Nigerian cities including Makurdi, Calabar, Lafia, Port Harcourt, Afikpo, Owerri, Enugu, Auchi, Abuja, Kano, Ilorin, Abakaliki and Ibadan. The marches were not part of the official campaigns; as they were led by volunteer Obi supporters and not Obi's in-house team or political party. The marches experienced massive turnouts.

Selection of running mate

Physician Doyin Okupe initially was the temporary running mate of Obi until a substantive candidate could be selected. In the run-up to the final selection of a running mate, media outlets reported that there was an effort to have former Senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna State serve as Obi's running mate.

On 8 July 2022, Obi unveiled his running mate, Senator for Kaduna North Senatorial District Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. Speaking on his choice of the vice presidential candidate, he stated:

This is our right to secure, unite and make Nigeria productive. And you can't do that without having people who have similar visions, ideas and are prepared for the task. So, I have the honour today to present to you, God willing, Nigeria's next vice president in the person of Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Election results

The results were announced on 1 March 2023. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress party, was named the president-elect with 8.79 million votes. Obi received 6.1 million votes, and won in both Lagos and Abuja. This put Obi in third place behind winner Bola Tinubu and People's Democratic Party nominee Atiku Abubakar. Due to the elections being rife with several allegations, reports and evidence of voter manipulation, disenfranchisement and rigging, Obi announced that he would challenge the election results, stating that, "We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians".

Controversy

Pandora papers

As a result of the Pandora Papers leaks, the ''Premium Times'' reported on Obi's involvement in offshore companies in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands and Barbados. Obi appeared to have made shell companies in the 1990s with the Barbados-based Beauchamp Investments Limited and UK-based Next International (UK) Limited being tied back to Obi and his family. This was before he held any political office in Nigeria.

Further reporting showed that in 2010 as well, Obi had Access International help him set up and manage Gabriella Investments Limited, a company in the British Virgin Islands named after Obi's daughter. One of the directors was also the director of a Belize-based shell company that was issued 50,000 shares in Gabriella Investments.
In 2017, Obi reorganized the company under the name PMGG Investments Limited and created a trust named The Gabriella Settlement, which became the sole shareholder in PMGG Investments Limited. Obi was not holding any political position at this time.

A Premium Times report claimed that Obi remained as director of Next International (UK) Limited while serving as Governor of Anambra State, which is in direct violation of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. In an interview with Arise News, Obi clarified that he resigned from all companies before taking office as Governor of Anambra State.

The report also claimed that Obi's non-declaration of his offshore companies broke the Nigerian Constitution's provision that require public officers to declare all their properties, assets, and liabilities. Obi stated that he did not break any laws and clarified that the accounts' money was accrued from his time as a businessman. The EFCC invited him for questioning in October 2021, after President Buhari directed all anti-corruption agencies to investigate those named in the leaks.

Personal life and awards

In 1992, Obi married Margaret Brownson (née Usen) and they have two children: Oseloka and Gabriella. He was awarded the Man of the Year by '' The Sun'' in 2007, the Most Prudent Governor in Nigeria by ''This Day'' in 2009, and the Best Performing Governor on Immunization in Southeast, Nigeria by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2012. In 2013 Obi became the Silverbird Group's Man of the Year. In 2014, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Lagos Business School Alumni Association (LBSAA), the Nigerian Library Association Golden Merit Award, and the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester. Obi was the recipient of the ''This Day'' award for the Governor of the Decade in 2020, and the Leadership Excellence Award's Man of the Year in 2022.

See also

* List of Igbo people
* List of governors of Anambra State

References

Further reading

*

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obi, Peter
1961 births
Living people
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Candidates for President of Nigeria
Christ the King College, Onitsha alumni
Columbia Business School alumni
Governors of Anambra State
Harvard Business School alumni
Igbo politicians
Impeached governors
Lagos Business School alumni
Nigerian political candidates
Nigerian Roman Catholics
People from Anambra State
People named in the Pandora Papers
University of Nigeria alumni
Commanders of the Order of the Niger