Uche Nnaji Wins Enugu PDP Guber Ticket After Resigning As Minister Over ‘Certificate Forgery’

Uche Nnaji, the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 elections.

Nnaji won the PDP governorship primary after polling 7,424 votes, defeating Samson Nnamani, who received 600 votes.

The election was held across the 17 local government areas of Enugu State.

The ex-minister resigned from his cabinet position after allegations surfaced that he submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) documents during his ministerial screening.

President Bola Tinubu had appointed Nnaji as minister in August 2023 before later accepting his resignation following the controversy.

Announcing the result in Enugu on Saturday, Austin Nwachukwu, chairman of the seven-member election committee, declared Nnaji winner of the primary.

“By the powers conferred on me as chairman of the primary election committee, I hereby declare Uche Nnaji as winner of the governorship primary, having secured the highest number of votes,” Nwachukwu said.

According to him, the exercise was peaceful and conducted in line with the Electoral Act and PDP guidelines.

Nwachukwu said the committee faced some security restrictions when they arrived at the party secretariat but eventually carried out the process with support from the state working committee.

“We are satisfied with the process. What our people demonstrated shows that Enugu remains a PDP state, and we are committed to restoring the party’s strength ahead of the election,” he said.

The committee said Nnaji recorded victory in all 17 local government areas of the state.

In his acceptance speech, Nnaji thanked party members for supporting him and described the election as an important step for the future of Enugu State.

“This contest is not merely about politics but about the future of Enugu state and the kind of society we want to build for our children,” he said.

He also praised his opponent, Samson Nnamani, saying political competition should not create hatred among party members.

“Politics should never make us enemies. We may differ in approach, but we share the same love for Enugu state,” he said.

Nnaji promised that, if elected governor, his administration would focus on industrial growth, job creation, and economic reforms.

“Families are struggling. Small businesses are suffocating. Traders, artisans, transporters, ICT operators, welders, farmers, restaurant owners, and many hardworking citizens are under severe pressure,” he said.

The PDP candidate also promised better salaries and welfare for primary school teachers across the state.

Nnaji criticised the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, accusing it of poor leadership and governance failures.

He said, “We will correct the ills in governance in Enugu state. Our people are suffering from the mistakes made three years ago. Enugu governance is built on lies and deceit.”

He said Enugu needs to move away from depending mainly on taxes and consumption and instead focus on production, manufacturing, and industrialisation.

“Enugu cannot continue to depend mainly on consumption and taxation. We must produce. We must manufacture. We must create jobs,” he said.

According to him, the state has enough natural and human resources to build industries capable of creating thousands of jobs for young people.

Referencing former Eastern Region premier Michael Okpara, Nnaji said visionary leadership could help transform Enugu into a major economic centre again.

“The Okpara era showed us that visionary leadership can transform a state or a region into an economic powerhouse. We can do it again,” he said.

He also pledged to serve only one term of four years if elected governor in 2027.

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