Peter Obi
Peter Gregory Obi is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the governor of Anambra State from 17 March 2006 until his impeachment on 2 November 2006. Reinstated on 9 February 2007, he continued his tenure until 2010 when he was re-elected for a second term which ended on 7 March 2014. A member of the African Democratic Congress since 2025, Obi was the presidential candidate for Labour Party in the 2023 Nigerian presidential election.
Born in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria, Obi attended Christ the King College in Onitsha and University of Nigeria in Nsukka for his secondary and tertiary education, respectively. He worked as a banker before becoming a full-time politician following his contest in the 2003 Anambra State gubernatorial election under APGA. He was defeated by Chris Ngige but Ngige's victory was later annulled by the court, hence declared Obi as the winner. He started his administration on 17 March 2006. He was removed from office by the state assembly on 3 November 2006, citing "gross misconduct". His deputy, Virginia Etiaba, replaced him as the first female governor in Nigeria. Obi was restored to office after a court ruling, and he resumed office on 9 February 2007. On 17 March 2010, he was re-elected for a second tenure, which ended on 17 March 2014 when he passed power to the governor-elect, Willie Obiano.
Obi, under PDP, sought the Nigerian vice presidential nomination in 2019. With presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, they lost to Muhammadu Buhari of APC. Obi defected to Labour Party in 2022. Patrick Utomi surrendered his presidential ticket for him during the party's primary election nomination. He selected Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as his vice presidential candidate for the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, however they lost the election 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 town of Agulu. He had his secondary education at Christ the King College, Onitsha, where he obtained his West African Examination Council. 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.Governor of Anambra State (2006–2014)
2003–2009: First tenure
Elections
Obi contested for the Governor of Anambra State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance in 2003, Chris Ngige was declared. Ngige's 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.Impeachment and return
Obi was impeached by the state legislature on 2 November 2006, a day after the Nigeria Court of Appeal overturned the removal of Rashidi Ladoja, the Governor of Oyo State. In a report by Daily Trust, Mike Balonwu, the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, went to the state House of Assembly in Awka around 5:30am under "heavy police security" and passed a resolution which impeached Obi. The report claimed that Balonwu and the other state legislators left Awka for Asaba, Delta State. He said he will not take over the government house, meanwhile Obi reportedly condemned the impeachment as "an illegal and unconstitutional act. Impeachment is a grave matter and should be done in broad daylight, not under cover of darkness". According to Obi, he was not informed of the impeachment and has not been able to defend himself. He claimed that the 12 lawmakers did not make the two-thirds majority necessary for the impeachment. He also asserted that the panel requested his deputy, Virginia Etiaba, to appear before the state assembly to present her defence but no defence for himself , even after requests from his lawyers. The Nigerian constitution states that "a state governor or his deputy can only be removed by two-thirds of the state legislature's membership". Balonwu later said that Obi was impeached after a panel set up to investigate allegations of graft and abuse of office found him guilty of eight out of the 11 charges against him. Virginia Etiaba replaced him as the governor.After refusal to participate in the 2007 state gubernatorial election, Obi challenged the impeachment. His petition was annulled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Obi was re-instated on 14 June 2007 after a court rule in southeastern Nigeria. The speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly and about 23 members who voted for Obi's impeachment denied being present. According to BBC, it was the third sacking of a governor in 2006 that has been declared illegal by the courts in Nigeria. The chief judge of the state and three other judges were suspended.
On 29 May 2018, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in an article released to commemorate the third anniversary of Buhari's pesidency, listed Obi as "one of those who suffered injustice while in office as Governor".
2010–2014: Second tenure
Election
On 7 February 2010, Obi won the governorship 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, 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. The Atiku and Obi ticket finished second behind incumbent Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.Presidential campaigns
2023 election
Campaign
On 24 March 2022, Obi declared his intention to run for President of Nigeria under the party, Peoples Democratic Party. 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.Obedients
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.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.
Elections and 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".Aftermath of the results, court cases
2027 election
2025 political party defection
On 31 December 2025, Obi defected to the African Democratic Congress citing his decision as "guided solely by patriotism and national interest". He announced the defection at the Nike Lake Resort in Enugu. Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Victor Umeh, Tony Nwoye and Gilbert Nnaji were present during the deflection event. Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga faulted the defection, describing Obi as a "wandering politician...a politician who lacks the leadership pedigree to govern Nigeria". The national chairman of Labour Party Julius Abure, a critic of Obi, described the defection as "liberation" to the party.ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi told the Punch on 4 January 2026 that Obi's formal defection boosted the party's membership including entrance of lawmakers. Amidst rumours of Obi accepting the vice presidential ticket for ADC, the Obedient Movement stated that they could only vote Obi as the presidential candidate of the party and not as vice president. Following the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo's claim that Obi has deceived his supporters into believing he could secure ADC's 2027 presidential ticket whereas he already has a deal of being a VP under Atiku Abubakar, Economics professor Patrick Utomi on Channels Television's Politics Today dismissed the claim, citing that he would withdraw his support should Obi accept to be Vice President. He also asserted that presidency as well as governorship positions shouldn't be for people less than 70. Utomi's endorsement and presidency stance of Obi was publicly criticised by Dele Momodu as "undemocratic", claiming that anyone who condemns Obi being a Vice President is an undemocratic person.
Nigerian activist Aisha Yesufu endorsed Obi and condemned any party going to offer him a vice presidential ticket. Daily Trust, on 5 January 2026 reported that there have emerged an indication that the 2027 presidential ticket of Obi in ADC party may favour Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria People's Party presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, as the vice presidential candidate.
Obi's former running mate in Labour Party Datti Baba-Ahmed on 7 January 2026 declared his intentions to run as president for Labour Party in 2027. Made during a rally at Abuja, he said "Nigeria needs help" and also added: "Can I please remind you that before His Excellency Governor Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I aspired for the presidency before him? The records are there for you to see". During the rally, while Julius Abure claimed that Labour Party remained intact and would grow stronger with Obi's exit, Baba-Ahmed criticised Obi saying that "he won't leave LP like Obi did".
Former governor of Anambra State Jim Nwobodo endorsed Obi. According to The Guardian, Obi has been the subject of scrutiny, with analysts and political stakeholders weighing in on the quality of his candidacy and his position as a strong rival to President Tinubu.