Peter Obi, a former two-term governor of Anambra from 2006 to 2014, now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for 2027, emerged as a strong opposition figure in the 2023 election. He is considered a major contender in the forthcoming January presidential poll.

After running as vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2019, Mr Obi had his first shot at a national elective position in 2023, garnering over six million votes as Labour Party’s presidential candidate.

A successful businessman, Mr Obi has endeared himself to his hordes of followers, who christened themselves ‘Obidients’, as an honest and accountable politician.

1. Mr Obi is seen as a frugal administrator focused on cutting the cost of governance and waste, based on his antecedents as Anambra governor between 2006-2014. Leaving about N75 billion in Anambra coffers for his successor has been a major talking point.

2. Mr Obi’s entrance into the presidential race has sparked more youth consciousness and involvement in politics. The former Anambra governor enjoys acceptance among young Nigerians and his followers, christened “Obidients”, who idolise him as a different breed of politician.

3. As Anambra governor, Mr Obi’s government was lauded for facilitating SABMiller brewery investment in Anambra when he was in government. In addition to the state owning shares in the company, it created jobs in the state.

4. Owing largely to his fiscal prudence, Anambra was rated the least indebted state by the Debt Management Office under Mr Obi’s leadership of the state. Unlike other governors who plunge their respective states into debt, Mr Obi is lauded for maintaining a very low debt profile for Anambra State in addition to the multibillion-naira sum he left in the state coffers.

5. Though not holding any public office for over a decade, Mr Obi has continued to support schools with donations intermittently.

Mr Obi’s struggles

1. Mr Obi’s name featured prominently among global political and business leaders operating secret offshore companies in tax havens listed in the Pandora Papers, millions of leaked documents revealing hidden offshore accounts, shell companies, and secret wealth of politicians and public officials around the world. But Mr Obi denied any wrongdoing.

2. Though he maintains a populist public perception, Mr Obi seems unable to articulate his plans on how he wants to solve Nigeria’s problems. In several interviews, he insisted he would not reveal his plans for tackling insecurity and other challenges, a stance that has sparked criticisms from his opponents.

3. Investing state funds, about $30 million, in a company linked to his family has been another controversy around Mr Obi’s leadership of Anambra State.

4. Mr Obi was criticised for his infamous leaked phone call making divisive religious rhetoric to drive his political ambition. A leaked audio of his conversation with the leader of Living Faith Church, David Oyedepo, in which he declared the 2023 election a “religious war” has remained a reference point.

5. Mr Obi, in his political foray, has moved across five political parties in pursuit of his ambition. This is often seen as a lack of commitment to any political struggle and as a failure to build the structure he needs to fight a national election. He admitted he does not like to engage with political parties with internal rancour, while accusing President Bola Tinubu of setting opposition parties on fire.