PRESS RELEASE
CHIEF UCHE GEOFFREY NNAJI – MINISTERIAL NOMINEE AT THE SENATE FOR SCREENING
The gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 poll from Enugu State and Minister-Designate from the newly released ministerial list by The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Uche Nnaji will today, Monday, July 31 visit the National Assembly, the hallowed chamber of the Nigerian Senate, Abuja for his screening as the constitution demands alongside other Minister nominees. Chief Uche Nnaji is being accompanied by a renowned technocrat, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi ( Convener of The Asiwaju Group – TAG) who have been a close political ally and a business partner of Chief Uche Nnaji
It will be recalled that the renowned businessman / politician ran for the numero uno seat of governor of the Coal City State, Enugu in the just concluded nationwide gubernatorial poll held on March 18, 2023 but lost to the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under funny circumstances. He had earlier been projected to win with a landslide having been a grassroots politician of over 3 decades, a philanthropist and a man of the people. Although, the matter is at the Supreme Court and the people of Enugu are still hoping for liberation, as victory for Chief Uche Nnaji is a victory for the people in Enugu.
The man cosmopolitan as the ‘Enugu Boy’ who hails from Akpugo Nkanu West Local Government has no doubt carved a niche for himself in Nigerian politics having been an active participant, playing partisan politics since the days of the military era. Chief Nnaji was one of the political prisoners of the late Head of State, Gen Sani Abacha military junta. He would later run for a seat at the Nigerian Senate in 1999 after his release from prison by the Gen. Abdussalam Abubakar (Rtd) transient rulership alongside other political prisoners.
Chief Nnaji switched from his then party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), having won a seat to represent his zone – Enugu East Senatorial District, but had his named replaced by the then National Secretary of the PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo with that of Senator Ken Nnamani after the latter had defected from his All People’s Party (APP) to join the PDP. Angered by such injustice, Chief Nnaji barely 72 hours before the poll switched to the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) and defeated Senator Ken Nnamani in 65 out of 66 wards.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka alumnus who also doubles as the youngest and first African to have a CT scan for Nigeria in the mid ‘80s is one of the newly released 28 minister-designates to form the much-anticipated cabinet of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The man, whose nomination, since announcement, has been described as a round peg in a round hole is expected to bring to bear his decades of experience in business, Energy, Environmental Protection, politics and capacity building.
Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji
Media Office
July 31, 2023
