2023: Peter Obi joins the race with an electrifying speech.
3 min read
Last week, an ex governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, a businessman, intellectual, administrator and a politician declared his interest to run for the office of the president of Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. Recall that in 2019, Obi was the running mate to the former vice president of Nigeria Abubakar Atiku still under the PDP. The Atiku Obi team lost to Gen Buhari of APC in the election many believed were massively rigged in favour of the ruling party.
Almost four years later, Obi has indicated his interest to run the show on his own terms. As someone who has successfully managed the finances and resources of a state in Nigeria, Obi is generally believed to be in the good books of Nigerians as someone who will fix the country for the better. The reason for this general consensus is because Obi whose tenure ended in 2014, was able to convince people that he knows how to fix Nigeria. While declaring his intention to run for the office of the president of Nigeria last week in Awka Anambra State, Obi told the gathering which was mostly made up of monarchs, “If I am voted as the president, I will secure Nigeria, create jobs for the teaming youths of the country and pull Nigeria out of poverty. “Everything I have done regarding resources, I have managed them proudly.”
On why he first had to meet royal fathers over his intention, Obi was also quoted as saying, “I am talking to the traditional rulers because if somebody begins any journey he must first tell his fathers. I am telling you as my fathers that I am coming out to contest the position of the president of Nigeria.”
Political observers across the country who know Obi very well, have been confirming that he is the only honest politician that many people will vote for and would want to come and save the country. His flourishing chains of businesses both in and outside Nigeria demonstrate the testimony that he is the right man for the job. In terms of honesty, Umuaka Times gathered that Obi is someone who is so rich, honest and lives no flamboyant lifestyle. His prudent management of resources has earned him a lot of respect among Nigerians.
As many people showed their joy via their social media handles last week on his declaration, they also expressed some reservations concerning his political party PDP, and its willingness to give him the ticket. Political observers are really confused if the PDP would give him the ticket to run.
Obi from several sources has gone beyond ethnic divide as an honest politician. When Abubakar Atiku was declaring his interest to run for the presidential ticket under the same party Obi belongs to last week, Obi was one of the guests who attended the event and this came as a surprise to many. In his reaction, Obi told newsmen that politics is not war. He extolled the virtues of Atiku and concluded that was he is still in the race.
According to Wikipedia, Peter Obi was born on 19 July 1961 in Onitsha. He attended Christ the King College, Onitsha, where he completed his secondary school education. He was admitted to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1980, graduating with a B.A (Hons) in philosophy in 1984.
He is the chairman of Nigeria Security and Exchange Commission. Obi was chairman of Next International Nigeria Ltd, then chairman and director of Guardian Express Mortgage Bank Ltd, Guardian Express Bank Plc, Future View Securities Ltd, Paymaster Nigeria Ltd, Chams Nigeria Ltd, Data Corp Ltd and Card Centre Ltd. He was the youngest chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc. He was appointed the chairman of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) by then President Goodluck Jonathan after the 2015 general election.
Peter Obi attended Lagos Business School Nigeria, where he did his chief executive program, Harvard Business School, Boston, USA, where he did two programs, London School of Economics, Columbia Southwest School New York, Institute for Management Development, Switzerland where he also got two certificates in Senior Executive Program and Chief Executive Officers Program. He also attended Kellogg Graduate School of Management, USA, Oxford University, Said Business School, Cambridge University and George Business School.
Obi is an orator, a great mathematician and a down to earth enigma.
