Obi Paschal Chigozie

Paschal Chigozie Obi is a Nigerian politician. He served as a member representing Ideato North and Ideato South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Early life and marriage

Paschal Chigozie Obi was born on 15 July 1970 in Obiohia, Ideato South LGA, Imo State. He is married to Mrs. Jennifer Ifeoma Obi (LSM) with six children.

Education

Chigozie completed his primary education at Community Primary School, Obiohia, in 1982. He attended Comprehensive Secondary School, Urualla, where he passed his West African School Certificate Examination in 1987. He was admitted to Abia State University, Uturu, to study Optometry, graduating in 1993. In 2010, he obtained a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.

Political career

He served as Acting Director in the State Ministry of Health, Owerri, and Coordinator of the National Programme for Prevention of Blindness (Vision 2020), until his appointment as Permanent Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Governor of Imo State in June 2011. In Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration, he was re-appointed as Principal Secretary to the Governor in April 2015. He was elected as a member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency under the platform of the Action Alliance (AA) in 2019, and served as Chairman, House Committee on Health Institutions. He defected to the Labour Party (LP) and contested the February 2023 elections for a second term in the House but lost to Ikenga Ugochinyere of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), even after a legal challenge.

Legal challenge and victory

An Appeal Court sitting in Owerri on 1 November 2019 affirmed the victory of Paschal Chigozie, Member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, dismissing the appeal of Austin Chukwukere of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on the grounds that it lacked merit. This judgment confirmed the ruling of the Election Petitions Tribunal which had earlier acknowledged Paschal Chigozie of the Action Alliance party (AA), as winner of the February 2019 National Assembly Election. Chigozie challenged his defeat to Ikenga Ugochinyere at the 2023 National Assembly polls. The Imo State Election Petitions Tribunal initially ruled in favour of Chigozie Obi, sacking Ikenga Ugochinyere as an illegal contestant in the election. But this judgment was reversed by an Appeal Court sitting in Lagos thus affirming Ikenga’s victory stating that the tribunal lacked jurisprudence over pre-election cases.

Religion

Paschal Chigozie Obi is a Christian.

Awards and honors

Knight of St. Mulumba (KSM), Christ the King Church Owerri

Fellow, Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA)

Traditional Prime Minister, Obiohia Ancient Kingdom

Party Positions

Policy positions from the Labour Party (LP) party manifesto.

Agriculture

Will optimize agricultural value chains across all 36 states with targeted investments, addressing impediments like banditry, kidnapping, and desertification to enhance food security and advance agro-based industrialization.

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Governance & Reform

Will restructure the Nigerian federation through legal and institutional reforms to strengthen federalism by moving agreed items from the exclusive list of the Federal government to the concurrent list, ensuring effective public action for growth and sustainable livelihood.

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Security & Defense

Will implement key recommendations from previous police and security sector reform reports, including a three-level policing structure (local, state, federal) with detailed guidelines to curb abuses.

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Reliefs and scholarships

Will resolve the national minimum wage problem by replacing the extant salary structure with an hourly productivity-based national minimum wage, ensuring binding application across all sectors.

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Economy & Trade

Will reform the transport system, including logistics, ports, customs, and other agencies, to create an integrated transport system promoting inter-connectivity among ports, roads, rail, and inland waterways to reduce trade costs and enhance competitiveness.

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Enterprise grant support

Will devise programs to reskill youths, create mandatory national certification for blue-collar artisans, strengthen STEM tertiary schools, and establish a venture capital-like fund for young entrepreneurs.

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Environment & Climate

Will establish a Green Army to tap into $3 trillion in international climate finance for green growth, employment, and transition to a green economy.

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Anti-corruption

Will establish the Office of Special Counsel to investigate and prosecute executive abuses of power and corruption, with constitutional amendments to exempt its prosecutions from the Nolle Prosequi power of the Attorney General.

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Energy

Launch a solar power revolution in Northern Nigeria, ensuring uninterrupted power supply in cities and industrial parks by the end of 2024 through re-engagement of 14 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and resolving financial impediments to reach $2.5 billion in PPAs for 1,125 MW of solar capacity.

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Technology & Digital

Support private sector-led fiber-optic backbone projects connecting tertiary institutions and state capitals to enable free broadband access for digital transformation.

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Infrastructure

Creation of national multi-utility transport tunnels (MUT) to integrate masterplans for gas, road, railway, urban mass transit, telecommunications, water, sewage, and electricity for cost efficiency and streamlined infrastructure development.

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Education

Will implement a Marshall Plan-style education reform program with compulsory technical and vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and digital training from primary to secondary level, with strategic partnerships for incubators and seed funding.

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Healthcare

Expand health insurance coverage to 133 million poorest Nigerians (including pregnant women, children, the elderly, and disabled) through strengthened NHIS with private sector involvement, ensuring accessibility and affordability.

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Foreign Policy

Engage in Afro-centric diplomacy to protect Nigerian citizens abroad and advance economic interests through trade, investment, and diplomatic leverage.

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