Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has felicitated the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on his 61st birthday.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saluted the former Anambra governor in a post on his Twitter page on Tuesday.
“On behalf of my family, I wish my good friend, presidential candidate of the LP, and former Governor of Anambra State, @PeterObi, a memorable 61st birthday celebration. I wish you many more years in good health and vitality.”
Both men ran for the presidency in 2019 on the PDP platform, with Atiku as the presidential candidate and Obi his running mate.
Atiku said Obi’s choice as his running mate for the 2019 election 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.”
He added that the ticket would steer the country back on the path of progress, economic prosperity, and unity.
They lost the election to President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Obi was a two-term governor of Anambra State, between 2006 and 2014, as a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
He defected to the PDP in 2014.
Ahead of the party primaries for the 2023 poll, signs emerged that both men might not run together for a second time as Obi declared interest to run for the top job on the platform of the PDP rather than as a VP candidate.
Some had held hopes that both men will find a solution and work together once again.
Those hopes were dashed in May when Obi withdrew from the PDP primaries and resigned from the party.
He would later clinch the ticket of the Labour Party, a move that means the once running mates will be racing against each other next year.
Despite the change, both men have been cordial and very respectful to each other.
When Atiku secured the presidential ticket of the PDP, Obi was one of those to congratulate him.
“On behalf of my family, I sincerely congratulate my leader and dear elder brother, H.E @atiku, on his emergence as the 2023 presidential flag bearer of the @OfficialPDPNig,” he had tweeted on May 29.
Atiku’s birthday wishes continue the cordial relationship and the tweet was acknowledged by their followers.
Born 19th July, 1961, Obi attended Christ the King College, Onitsha, and later proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.
He has also attended and graduated from several international and national institutions such as the 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.
In public service, he has occupied various positions, including: Member, Presidential Economic Management Team; Vice-Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum; Chairman, South-East Governors’ Forum, and the Governor of Anambra State.
An astute professional, Obi has also laid his footprints across the corporate world. He was the Chairman, Board of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC); 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; and former Director, Card Centre PLC.
He is a member of the British Institute of Directors (IOD), Nigerian Chartered Institute of Bankers, and Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).
