Why Atiku picked Peter Obi as running mate – Gbenga Daniel

Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, former Nigerian vice president and the presidential candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar and the director-general of his campaign organisation and former governor of Ogun State Gbenga Daniel on Friday, October 12, 2018. PHOTO: ATIKU CAMPAIGN ORGANISATION

The campaign organisation of Atiku Abubakar has explained the reason for the selection of former Anambra State governor as the running mate to the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.

Obi, a former bank, is from the same state as Senator Ben Obi, whom Abubakar picked as his running mate when he was the presidential candidate of the now-defunct Action Congress in 2007.

“Mr. Obi’s choice was largely influenced by his youthfulness, vast knowledge of global and local economics as well as being a financial expert, all experience which Nigeria is in great need at this point in time,” said Gbenga Daniel, the director-general of Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation.

“This ticket will be able to steer our nation back on the path of progress, economic prosperity and unity.”

Obi was governor of Anambra State in Nigeria from 17 March 2006 to 2 November 2006, when he was impeached and from 9 February 2007 to 29 May 2007 after his impeachment was overturned. Although a fresh election was held on 29 April 2007, he was named governor on 14 June 2007 after a court ruling that he should be allowed to complete a four-year term.

He won a 6 February 2010 election for a second term as governor. During both terms, he was a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

He defected to the PDP in October 2014, citing the performance of the then President Goodluck Jonathan as his motivation.

Before his foray into politics, Obi was a banker and was at a time the chairman of the board of Board of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC}.

A statement of the Abubakar’s campaign team said Obi was also a “former Chairman, Fidelity Bank PLC; former Chairman, Guardian Express Mortgage Bank; former Chairman, Future Views Securities; former Chairman, Paymaster Nigeria; former Chairman, Next International Nigeria; former Director, Guardian Express Bank PLC; former Director, Chams Nigeria PLC; former Director, Emerging Capital: former Director, Card Centre PLC.”

Born 19th July, 1961, Peter Obi attended the Christ the King College, Onitsha and later proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.

Obi was also, at different times, educated at Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School, London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, Institute of Management, Switzerland, Kellogg Graduate School, Oxford University and Cambridge University,” Atiku’s campaign said.