Peter Gregory Obi: education, family, politics

Peter Gregory Obi  is one of Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Aspirants, running under labour party since May 2022.

Biography

He hails from Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria, but was born in Onitsha, Anambra state on the July 19, 1961, to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Obi. He is the second child of a family of five and has two sisters and two brothers. His siblings are: Bibiana Adani, Fabian Chinwuba Obi, Josephat Ndibe Obi and Martina Obi.

Family

He got married to Margaret Brownson Usen in 1992 and the union is blessed with two children – a boy and a girl.

Education

After his primary education, he proceeded to Christ the King Secondary school, Onitsha where he obtained his West African Examination Council certificate. In 1980, he gained admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) to study Bachelor of Art (BA) in Philosophy and graduated in 1984.

He didn’t end his carrier with UNN, he further went to the following schools:

1. London School of Economics (Financial Mgmt/Business Policy)
2. Lagos business school, Nigeria (Chief Executive Program).
3. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, U.S.A. (Advanced Executive Program)
4. Harvard business school, Boston, USA, (Mid to Mid Marketing)
5. Columbia Business School, New York, U.S.A. (Marketing Management)
6. Institute for management development, Switzerland where he also got two certificates in Senior Executive Program and Break-Through Program for CEOs.
7. Kellogg School of Management U.S.A. (Global Advanced Mgmt Program)
8. Oxford University: Said Business School, (Advanced Management and Leadership Program)
9. Cambridge University: George Business School (Advanced Leadership Program)

Politics

He became well known in politics when he declared an interest and contested for the governorship of Anambra state (All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate), in 2003.

After the election, his opponent (Chris Ngige) was declared a winner in his stead by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and he sued Chris Ngige and INEC in court, questioning the victory of his opponent. He was eventually declared the winner on 15 March 2006 by the Court of Appeal.

He resumed duty on the 17^th of March, 2006, and was impeached after seven months by the state house of Assembly. He went back to court and challenged the impeachment, after which he was reinstated back to office on the 9th of February 2007 by the Court of Appeal at Enugu.

He served his second tenure as the governor of Anambra state and handed it over to Willie Obiano in 2014.

On October 7, 2014, he decamped from APGA and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and on March 24, 2022, he declared interest to run for the 2023 presidency on the PDP platform. On May 24, 2022, he resigned from PDP, and on May 27, 2022, he declared joining Labour Party and would be contesting for the presidency on that platform.

Business

When he left trading, he ventured into the corporate world and held different positions in different spheres of his life among which are:

Former Chairman of:

1. Fidelity Bank Plc.
2. Guardian Express Mortgage Bank, Ltd.
3. Future Views Securities, Ltd.
4. Paymaster Nigeria Plc.
5. Next International (Nigeria) Ltd

Former Director of:

1. Guardian Express Bank Plc.
2. Chams Nigeria Plc.
3. Emerging Capital Ltd
4. Card Centre Plc.

Peter Obi was a member of the following:

1. Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG)
2. Nigerian Chartered Institute of Bankers
3. British Institute of Directors (IOD)

Entrepreneurship

When Peter Gregory Obi graduated from school, he started his life as a trader and made his first money from trading.