The full timeline.

1956

Born in Kwankwaso village

Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is born on 21 October 1956 in Kwankwaso village, Madobi Local Government Area, Kano State.

1961

Born in Onitsha

Peter Gregory Obi is born in Onitsha, Anambra State, into a trading family.

1985

Trained as a water engineer

Completes a master’s degree in water engineering at Loughborough University of Technology in the UK, after earlier postgraduate study at Middlesex Polytechnic.

1992–1993

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives

Elected to the House of Representatives for the Madobi constituency and serves as Deputy Speaker.

1999–2003

First term as Governor of Kano State

Elected Governor of Kano State, serving a first term from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003.

2003–2007

Minister of Defence

Appointed Minister of Defence under President Olusegun Obasanjo — the first civilian to hold the post in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.

2006–2014

Governor of Anambra State

Serves two terms as governor over eight years (17 March 2006 – 17 March 2014), a tenure that survives an impeachment attempt and includes regaining his mandate through a Supreme Court ruling.

2006–2013

State revenue nearly doubles

Anambra's internally generated revenue rises from about ₦4.6bn in 2006 to ₦8.7bn in 2013, without introducing new taxes.

2006–2014

Eight years without new borrowing

The state takes on no new loans over his eight years in office, paying salaries and pensions on schedule throughout.

2009–2011

Schools returned to the missions

Eighteen secondary schools are handed back to the Catholic and Anglican churches in January 2009, followed by 1,040 primary schools in November 2011, with roughly ₦6bn in state grants paid over the following fifteen months. The state continues paying teacher salaries while the missions run the schools.

2010–2014

30,000+ computers and internet access for schools

More than 30,000 computers (22,500 donated by HP) and two buses each go to public secondary schools, and Anambra becomes the first Nigerian state to connect 100 schools to the internet.

2011–2013

Anambra ranks first in NECO nationally

Anambra rises from among the bottom ten states in national examination rankings to first place in NECO results, holding that position for three consecutive years.

2011–2015

Second term as Governor of Kano State

Re-elected Governor of Kano State for a second term, from 29 May 2011 to 29 May 2015.

2012–2013

Best-performing governor on immunisation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation names him the best-performing governor in Nigeria on routine immunisation and polio eradication, with a $1m grant accompanying the award.

17 March 2014

₦86.67bn net balance at handover

A signed handover report itemises the state’s finances on his last working day: local investments, a foreign-currency deposit, certified account balances and a federal refund, totalling roughly ₦91.67bn before estimated liabilities, for a net balance of ₦86,665,985,574.06.

2015–2019

Senator for Kano Central

Elected to the Senate representing Kano Central under the All Progressives Congress, serving one term.

Since 2020

Over ₦1.15bn in documented giving

Donations to hospitals, nursing colleges, schools and a university are individually recorded, each linked to its own source rather than presented as a single unverified total.

2022–2023

NNPP presidential candidate

Becomes national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.

2023

6.1 million votes for president

Running on the Labour Party ticket, wins Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory and ten other states; INEC places him third nationally with 6,101,533 votes.

2025

Leaves the Labour Party

After a period in an opposition coalition, formally exits the Labour Party at the end of the year, pledging to serve only a single term if elected president.

Source pending verification.

30 May 2026

NDC presidential candidate

Ratified unopposed as the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, with Rabiu Kwankwaso as running mate, for the election set for 16 January 2027.

30 May 2026

NDC running mate

Announced as Peter Obi’s running mate on the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential ticket, for the election set for 16 January 2027.