Peter Obi
Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi CON (ⓘ, born 19 July 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. In May 2022, he became the Labour Party candidate for President of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential election, after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Peter Obi | |
|---|---|
Obi in 2022 | |
| Governor of Anambra State | |
| In office 14 June 2007 – 17 March 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Andy Uba |
| Succeeded by | Willie Obiano |
| In office 9 February 2007 – 29 May 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Virginia Etiaba |
| Succeeded by | Andy Uba |
| In office 17 March 2006 – 2 November 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Ngige |
| Succeeded by | Virginia Etiaba |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Peter Gregory Obi 19 July 1961 Onitsha, Eastern Region, Nigeria (now in Anambra State, Nigeria) |
| Political party | Labour Party (since 2022) |
| Other political affiliations | All Progressives Grand Alliance (2002–2014) People's Democratic Party (before 2002; 2014–2022) |
| Spouse |
Margaret Brownson Obi (née Usen)
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
|
Born in Onitsha in 1961, Obi graduated from the University of Nigeria in 1984. Afterwards, he entered business and banking, eventually holding several executive positions in several banks. Obi contested for governor in 2003 as a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, but Chris Ngige was declared winner of the election. In 2006, the election of Chris Ngige was nullified and Obi was declared winner of the 2003 election, and he assumed office in March 2006. Shortly, he was impeached in November the same year by the Anambra State House of Assembly, led by Hon. Mike Balonwu. However, his impeachment was overturned and he returned to office in February 2007. Obi was removed after the 2007 Anambra State gubernatorial election, but the judiciary again intervened by ruling that he should be allowed to complete a full four-year term. In 2010, he was re-elected to a second term.
After leaving office in the year 2014, Obi decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party. In 2019, he was selected as the PDP vice presidential nominee in the presidential election, running alongside Atiku Abubakar, but they lost to the incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari and vice president Yemi Osinbajo. In 2022, Obi ran for president himself, first in the PDP until defecting to the Labour Party in May 2022 to obtain its nomination. Obi's presidential campaign has been described as populist and performed well among youth, who have been nicknamed "Obidients". In the general election, he lost to Bola Tinubu.
The Labour Party, along with several other opposition parties, sued to overturn Tinubu's victory, alleging voting irregularities. Their arguments were rejected in court.