By Adewole Kehinde
No politician from the southeast has held the office of president since Nnamdi Azikiwe, an anti-colonial activist, served as president from 1963 to 1966.         Â
Peter Obi’s supporters believe he is the presidential candidate who can bring Nigeria’s fractured federation back together after the glory years of Zik.
Peter Obi was born on 19 July 1961 in Onitsha, the bustling commercial market city in the state of which he would one day become governor, Anambra.
He graduated with a BA in Philosophy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1984. He has also completed numerous certifications in prestigious international universities such as Oxford, Harvard, and Cambridge.
Before entering politics, Obi had a successful banking career, rising through the ranks to become the youngest chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc. He was also the chairman of Guardian Express Mortgage Bank and Future Views Securities Ltd.
He is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the Nigerian Chartered Institute of Bankers. Additionally, former President Goodluck Jonathan hired Obi for his presidential economic team.
Obi is also a part of the Lagos Business School network, which boasts other notable names such as ex-chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Ibukun Awosika and Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde.
Peter Obi is very frugal with both public and private money. When he completed his term as governor, he left the Anambra treasury with more cash than he found there. In his handover notes, he itemized all the cheques that he had left to ensure teachers, pensioners and contractors were paid.
He helped pull Anambra out of political chaos, ignoring the godfathers and insisting he will not buy delegates at the party convention.
Peter Obi became governor on the ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on 17 March 2006 after the courts overturned the claimed victory of Chris Ngige in the elections of 2003. The court wrangling took three years after the disputed election during which time Ngige stayed in the governor’s Lodge.
Just six months after he moved into the governor’s lodge, Obi was impeached by the State House of Assembly. Obi said this was because he refused to inflate the state budget. He appealed, and the impeachment was overturned allowing him to continue from 9 February to 29 May 2007.
In fresh elections that year, Obi lost the governorship to challenger Andy Uba. He took to the courts again, arguing that he had another three years to serve his unfinished first term.
The Supreme Court ruled in Obi’s favour, and he served out the remaining three years of his governorship. He then went on to win the 2010 elections, defeating Charles Soludo, former governor of the Central Bank.
Anambra State under Obi’s governorship was rated by the Debt Management Office (DMO) as the least indebted; the Senate judged it the most financially stable state.
Obi’s administration won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation prize of $1m for the best-performing state on immunization in the Southeast.
This money was used with churches to expand healthcare, building ten maternal and childcare centers, mostly in rural areas. Obi also won praise for investing in education, building more schools, and connecting more to the internet.
Obi was the vice-chairman of Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum from 2008 to 2014, as well as the chairman of the South-East’s Governors’ Forum from 2006-2014.
Barely a month before former president Goodluck Jonathan left office after losing the 2015 general election, he appointed Obi as the Chairman of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Against two septuagenarian political heavyweights, Atiku Abubakar and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigerian youth have chosen to support Peter Obi of the Labour Party because he is a savvy economic manager with a national youthful support base. In a nation that always seems to be searching for a messiah to solve its myriad problems.
There is no doubt that Nigerian youths have been neglected for so long, especially in politics. The Nigeria of today needs a young president who will bring energy, compassion, intellect, and other leadership qualities and that candidate is Peter Obi.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi stands out among the array of those jostling to occupy the exalted seat of the presidency in the 2023 poll.
He is ethical, someone who has common sense, and someone who truly, genuinely cares about the masses. A candidate who doesn’t judge based on what part of the country you are from and whose interest is to unite and not divide.
Obi is someone who wants to bring an end to police brutality, an end to bad governance, and an end to poverty.
He is someone who cares about creating a better life for you and your family, someone who cares about every Nigerian citizen and wants to create more jobs and tackle insecurity.
Peter Obi is one of the few politicians from the Southeast who has supporters right across the country. He is respected as honest and efficient.
With the above pedigree of Peter Obi, my advice for Nigerians as the political campaign commences is to remember your choice. Remember who it is that has your interest at heart, someone who has character.
Don’t be swayed by political jingles and adverts. Vote your conscious. This is your future. This is your life. Make the right decision and be OBIDIENT!
Adewole Kehinde is a Public Affairs Analyst based in Abuja. 08166240846, E-mail: kennyadewole@gmail.com
