Peter Obi Biography: Early Life, Career, Awards, Wife, Children & Net Worth
Peter Obi CON (born July 19, 1961) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as governor of Anambra State from March 17, 2006, until his impeachment on November 2, 2006. Reinstated on February 9, 2007, he served until 2010, when he was re-elected for a second term, which concluded on March 7, 2014.
Obi, a member of the African Democratic Congress since 2025, ran as the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election. In 2019, Obi ran for Nigerian vice presidential candidacy under the PDP banner. They were defeated by Muhammadu Buhari of the APC and his presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Obi defected to the Labour Party in 2022.
Patrick Utomi gave up his presidential ticket for him at the party’s primary election nomination. He chose Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as his vice presidential candidate for the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, but they were defeated by Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, the president and vice president.
Peter Obi Biography and Education
Obi was born on July 19, 1961, in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria, into a devoted Christian family from Agulu. He completed his secondary school at Christ the King College in Onitsha, where he received his West African Examination Council (WAEC).
He enrolled in the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Enugu State, in 1980 and graduated in 1984 with a degree in philosophy. Obi attended Lagos Business School, the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland, Harvard Business School, Saïd Business School in England, Cambridge Judge Business School, and Kellogg School of Management.
Career
Obi campaigned for Governor of Anambra State within the All Progressives Grand Alliance in 2003, and Chris Ngige was elected. Ngige’s election victory was reversed by the Court of Appeal in 2006, following an Enugu verdict declaring Obi the winner of the 2003 election, and he took office on March 17, 2006.
Obi was impeached by the state assembly on November 2, 2006, one day after the Nigerian Court of Appeal reversed the dismissal of Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja. According to Daily Trust, Mike Balonwu, Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, went to the state House of Assembly in Awka around 5:30 a.m. under “heavy police security” and passed an impeachment resolution against Obi. According to the allegation, Balonwu and other state legislators departed Awka for Asaba, Delta State.
According to the Nigerian constitution, “a state governor or his deputy can only be removed by two-thirds of the state legislature’s membership”. Balonwu later stated that Obi was impeached after a panel formed to investigate allegations of graft and abuse of authority found him guilty of eight of the eleven charges levelled against him.
Obi appealed the impeachment after refusing to run for governor of the state in 2007. The Supreme Court of Nigeria overturned his petition. Obi was reinstated on June 14, 2007, following a court ruling in southeastern Nigeria. The speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly and around 23 lawmakers who voted for Obi’s impeachment denied their presence. According to the BBC, the courts in Nigeria deemed the third removal of a governor in 2006 to be unlawful. The state’s chief judge was suspended, along with three other judges.
On May 29, 2018, Malam Garba Shehu, President Muhammadu Buhari’s senior special assistant on media and publicity, described Obi as “one of those who suffered injustice while in office as Governor” in a piece published to commemorate the third anniversary of Buhari’s presidency.
Obi won the governorship election on February 7, 2010, and served for a second term until March 17, 2014, when Willie Obiano succeeded him. Following the 2015 General Election, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Obi as chairman of the Nigerian Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and on October 12, 2018, Obi was designated Atiku Abubakar’s running partner in the 2019 presidential election by the Peoples Democratic Party. The Atiku and Obi ticket finished second against the APC’s incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari.
Obi stated his desire to run for President of Nigeria on March 24, 2022, under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He then withdrew, claiming that he would be running for the Labour Party instead. According to the Nigerian newspaper Peoples Gazette, Obi resigned from the PDP on May 24, 2022, and reportedly complained of massive bribery 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 significant candidate unconnected with either of Nigeria’s two main parties have prompted analogies to Emmanuel Macron’s successful 2017 French presidential election.
Obi presented his running mate, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed of the Kaduna North Senatorial District, on July 8, 2022. When asked about his choice of vice presidential candidate, he responded that it is our right to secure, unite, and make Nigeria productive. And you can’t accomplish it without a team of people who share your vision and ideas and are up to the challenge. So, God willing, I have the privilege of introducing you to Nigeria’s next vice president, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.
The results were announced on March 1, 2023. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress party was named president-elect after receiving 8.79 million votes. Obi earned 6.1 million votes and won in Lagos and Abuja. This put Obi in third place, trailing winner Bola Tinubu and People’s Democratic Party nominee Atiku Abubakar.
Obi defected to the African Democratic Congress on December 31, 2025, describing his choice as “guided solely by patriotism and national interest”. Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Victor Umeh, Tony Nwoye, and Gilbert Nnaji were present at the deflection event. ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi told The Punch on January 4, 2026, that Obi’s formal defection increased the party’s membership, including the addition of parliamentarians.
Peter Obi wife
Obi married Margaret Brownson in 1992, and together they had two children, Peter Gregory Oseloka and Gabriella Frances Nwamaka. Obi is a fervent Catholic. He is also a papal knight, having attended Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration in Vatican City.
Peter Obi Net Worth
In 2025, Peter Obi’s net worth is expected to be $58 million. His wealth is mostly derived from his commercial enterprises, which include Next International Nigeria Ltd, as well as diverse stakes in banking and real estate.
Social Media
X: @PeterObi
