ABUJA— Denge Josef Onoh, former South-East spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, has sharply criticised former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, over his recent endorsement of zoning the Enugu State governorship among the three senatorial zones and his vow to serve only one term if elected governor in 2027.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Onoh described Nnaji’s sudden embrace of zoning, coupled with the self-proclaimed one-term promise, as “hollow” and inconsistent, warning that it threatens the long-standing power rotation arrangement that has sustained peace and fairness in Enugu State since the return to democracy.
Onoh expressed surprise at what he called Nnaji’s “accidental self-proclaimed messiah of zoning,” noting that the former minister cannot support Governor Peter Mbah to complete the full zoning tenure of **Enugu East Senatorial District** (Nkanu), which produced the governor from 1999–2007 under Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and is currently serving through Mbah’s tenure.
“He who cannot support the completion of the current zonal tenure should never be trusted with the promise of doing a single term. The same greed that drives him to seek power now, while undermining the completion of the current zonal tenure, will only propel him to seek a final second term in 2031,” Onoh stated.
He added that Nnaji would not be constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, just like any other governor, describing this as “a logical outcome of human political ambition when unchecked by principle.”
Onoh cautioned that Nnaji’s position risks derailing the equitable zoning formula that has maintained stability among Enugu’s three senatorial zones: **Enugu East (Nkanu)**, **Enugu West (Agbaja/Udi)**, and **Enugu North (Nsukka)**.
He emphasised that Governor Peter Mbah, from Enugu East, must be allowed to complete his two terms to honour rotational equity. This, he said, would pave the way for **Enugu West Senatorial Zone** to produce the governor in 2031 without disruption or bad blood.
“Gov. Peter Mbah remains the safer, more reliable alternative for everyone, especially for those from the Enugu West Senatorial Zone. Mbah’s track record of performance-focused governance demonstrates commitment to development across the state, and allowing him to finish his tenure ensures the zoning cycle proceeds smoothly: East completes its slot, then West takes its rightful turn in 2031,” Onoh declared.
In contrast, Onoh warned that realising Nnaji’s ambition would create two eligible candidates from the same **Enugu East** zone (Nnaji and Mbah) both seeking a second and final term in 2031, to the direct detriment of the people of **Enugu West**, who have patiently waited for their turn after previous rotations.
“Enugu cannot afford such self-serving disruption,” he said.
Quoting Vice President Kashim Shettima’s observation about then Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Onoh added: *“Uche Nnaji is a calm, cool and nice man. Nice men make terrible leaders and at best he should be selling popcorn and ice-cream, not aspiring to be governor of Enugu State.”*
Onoh concluded that performance, equity,justice and fidelity to zoning demand continuity with Governor Peter Mbah, rather than “risky experiments with untested one-term vows from those who cannot even support the current zonal arrangement to its logical conclusion.”
