Peter Obi in a black tunic against a grey studio ground, turned slightly, smiling
Peter Obi

Di story

Di man,
di myth,
di legend

Some pipo be mystery: nobody fit trace dem roots, dem family, di schools wey dem go, or wia dem come from. No be so for here. Dis man, pipo sabi am 100%.

Peter Obi in a black tunic against a grey studio ground, turned slightly, smiling
Peter Obi speaking into a handheld microphone under an arched hall roof

Di citation

Dem read am
give am

Lagos Business School, 2014. Open am make you read everything.

Peter Obi standing on stage at the Lagos Business School President's Dinner while his citation is read

Roots

Onitsha, one trader family, papa wey di war carry go, and mama wey build am back.

  1. 19 Jul 1961

    Dem born am for Onitsha

    Dem born Peter Gregory Obi for Onitsha, di sixth pikin of Josephat and Agnes Obi, traders from Agulu for Anaocha wey don settle for di market city bifor di war.

    Wikipedia · Vanguard, As tough as nails (3)

  2. 1968

    Im papa die during di war

    Josephat Obi, wey build di Ideal Soul Super Market for Onitsha, die for 1968 wen Peter still be small pikin. Di civil war wipe di family business comot. Im mama Agnes build am back from zero: she open one domestic training centre and di Nado restaurant for Modebe Avenue.

    The Sun, Peter Obi unveiled

  3. 1973 to 1978

    Christ the King College, Onitsha

    Afta primary school, e enter Christ the King College. E dey use im school fees as trading capital bifor e pay am, e dey buy egg from farms for Agbor and sell dem near di school gate, and e finish im West African School Certificate for 1978.

    Legit, Odili clarification · Vanguard, As tough as nails (2)

Trader

Egg for school gate, container from London, and degree for philosophy.

  1. 1980 to 1984

    Philosophy for Nsukka

    E read Philosophy for di University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and e graduate for 1984. As e still be undergraduate, e don dey travel go London go import goods, and e get Peugeot 504.

    Wikipedia · Premium Times, INEC documents 2026

  2. 1987

    Im first house, wey e buy outright for London

    E buy im first house for London without mortgage, and e start to dey invest for stock market, na so im long-time aide Valentine Obienyem tok.

    Vanguard, The odd quirks of Peter Obi at 65

  3. 1992

    E marry Margaret Brownson Usen

    E marry Margaret Brownson Usen. Dem get two children, Gabriella Nwamaka Frances and Gregory Peter Oseloka.

    Wikipedia

  4. 1996

    Next International for London

    Dem register Next International (UK) Limited wit Obi and im wife as directors. Di Next companies dey import and distribute brands like Heinz and Ovaltine across West Africa. “I was a big trader,” na so e tok.

    ICIR, Pandora Papers · Pulse, How Peter Obi made his money

Banker

Boards, chairman positions, and, at thirty-four, one bank.

  1. Mid-1990s

    Di youngest chairman of Fidelity Bank

    For 34, e become chairman of di board of Fidelity Bank, di youngest for di bank history. Bifor politics, e sidon for di board of three banks and e chair eleven companies.

    Labour Party profile · ICIR

Black and white photograph of Peter Obi walking on a treadmill in a small gym at night
Peter Obi seated behind a desk in a black cap and navy tunic, facing a cluster of television microphones

Govnor

Three years for court bifor e enter di office, eight years inside am, dem comot am three times and three times e come back.

  1. 19 Apr 2003

    E run for govnor on di APGA ticket

    INEC declare Chris Ngige of di PDP as winner. Obi carry di matter go tribunal. E go take three years.

    Wikipedia, 2003 Anambra election

  2. 17 Mar 2006

    Dem swear am in as Govnor of Anambra

    Di Court of Appeal for Enugu uphold di 2005 tribunal ruling sey dem wrongly declare di 2003 election. Two days afta, e take di oath of office.

    Ngige v. Obi (2006) · Vanguard, Anambra: the judgments so far

  3. 2 Nov 2006

    Dem impeach am for early morning

    Lawmakers gada around half past five for morning under police guard and dem vote am out. Deputy Govnor Virginia Etiaba come be di first woman wey be state govnor for Nigeria.

    Wikipedia · Wikipedia, Virginia Etiaba

  4. 9 Feb 2007

    Di Court of Appeal put am back

    Di court rule sey di impeachment no follow constitution. Etiaba hand di power back.

    Wikipedia, Virginia Etiaba

  5. 14 Jun 2007

    Di Supreme Court settle im tenure

    Wit Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu leading, di Supreme Court hold sey govnor four years dey start from di day wey e take di oath. Dem order Andy Uba, wey dem swear in seventeen days bifor afta one election wey Obi no contest, make e comot. Na dat ruling create di off-cycle elections wey Nigeria get today.

    Obi v. INEC, [2007] NGSC 42 · Lawcare Nigeria

  6. 1 Jan 2009

    Schools go back to di missions

    Dem hand eighteen secondary schools back to di churches wey start dem. For November 2011, di policy extend reach 1,040 primary schools, wit six billion naira grant.

    Selonnes, education rebirth

  7. 6 Feb 2010

    Dem elect am again

    E win second term wit 97,843 votes for field of twenty-five, ahead of Chris Ngige and Chukwuma Soludo.

    Wikipedia, 2010 Anambra election

  8. Nov 2011

    Commander of the Order of the Niger

    President Goodluck Jonathan give am di national honour of CON.

    2010/2011 National Honours list

  9. 30 Aug 2012

    SABMiller open for Onitsha

    Dem commission di Intafact brewery, one greenfield investment wey pass hundred million dollars. Di state take stake of about two billion naira.

    Wikipedia, Intafact Beverages · Vanguard, dollar value of investment

  10. 17 Mar 2014

    E hand ova to Willie Obiano

    Eight years to di very day afta im oath, e comot from office. Dat morning, di state traditional rulers name am Okwute, wey mean di Rock, of Igboland.

    Wikipedia, Willie Obiano · The Tide, chieftaincy title

Kontri

Di economic team, di SEC, The Platform, and one vice-presidential ticket.

Peter Obi speaking into a handheld microphone with his other hand open, lit against a dark background
  1. Apr 2015

    Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission

    President Jonathan appoint am chairman of di SEC board. Di appointment end wen di new govment dissolve all federal boards for July.

    Vanguard

  2. 1 Oct 2016

    The Platform: cut di cost of governance

    Im Independence Day speech for Covenant Christian Centre for Lagos travel far pass di room. “Government house is not a restaurant,” na so e tok, and Nigeria start to dey listen.

    BellaNaija

  3. 12 Oct 2018

    Running mate to Atiku Abubakar

    Atiku Abubakar name am as di PDP vice-presidential candidate. Di ticket collect 11.26 million votes and seventeen states for February 2019.

    Wikipedia, 2019 election

Movement

Party wey no get structure, but di kontri still come out.

Governor Alex Otti clasping hands with Peter Obi outside a building, aides and police behind them
  1. 24 May 2022

    E comot from PDP go Labour Party

    E point to vote buying for di primaries, e waka comot from di PDP and, six days afta, e win di Labour Party ticket for Asaba. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed join am for July. Di pipo wey follow am dey call demsef Obidients.

    Punch · Sun, Datti Baba-Ahmed

  2. 1 Oct 2022

    Di marches

    Volunteer marches full Makurdi, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Enugu and, for Independence Day, Lagos. Nobody carry bus bring pipo come. “We are the structure,” na wetin di banners tok.

    Vanguard, Enugu march · TV360, Lagos march

  3. 16 Jan 2023

    Chatham House

    For London, e lay out programme to move Nigeria from consumption go production. “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”

    Labour Party, full text · Chatham House recording

  4. 25 Feb 2023

    6.1 million votes, Lagos, di capital and ten more states

    Party wey never win one state bifor carry Lagos, di Federal Capital Territory and ten more states. INEC put am third wit 6,101,533 votes.

    Wikipedia, 2023 presidential election

Peter Obi in a black cap standing close to his wife Margaret Obi in a gold gele and gold lace
Peter Obi in conversation with his wife Margaret Obi at an evening reception under a chandelier

Now

New party, running mate, and election for 16 January 2027.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, Peter Obi and Bishop Isaac Idahosa photographed from behind on a platform, an arm raised to a crowd of tens of thousands in red and white Kano caps
  1. 2025

    E comot from di Labour Party

    E promise sey e go serve one term only if dem elect am and, afta small time inside di opposition coalition, e formally comot from di Labour Party for Nike Lake for Enugu, for di last day of di year.

    AP, coalition adopts ADC · Vanguard, Enugu defection

  2. 30 May 2026

    Candidate of di Nigeria Democratic Congress

    Afta e comot from di ADC for May, dem ratify am unopposed as di NDC presidential candidate wit Rabiu Kwankwaso as running mate. Dem don fix di election for 16 January 2027.

    Leadership, ADC defections · ThisDay, NDC ratification

Source