Josef Onoh, former South-East spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has criticised former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over his endorsement of zoning the Enugu State governorship and his pledge to serve only one term if elected in 2027.

In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Onoh described Nnaji’s position as “hollow” and inconsistent, warning that it could undermine the long-standing power rotation arrangement in Enugu State.

He expressed surprise at what he termed Nnaji’s “accidental self-proclaimed messiah of zoning”, arguing that the former minister had failed to support Governor Peter Mbah in completing the tenure of the Enugu East Senatorial District, which he noted previously held power between 1999 and 2007 under Chimaroke Nnamani.

“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 said.

Onoh added that Nnaji would not be constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, describing such a move as “a logical outcome of human political ambition when unchecked by principle”.

He cautioned that Nnaji’s stance could destabilise the zoning arrangement among the state’s three senatorial districts — Enugu East Senatorial District, Enugu West Senatorial District and Enugu North Senatorial District — which he said had sustained peace and fairness since the return to democracy.

According to him, Governor Mbah, who is from Enugu East, should be allowed to complete two terms in office to preserve rotational equity and ensure a smooth transition of power to Enugu West Senatorial District in 2031.

“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 stated.

He warned that if Nnaji’s ambition succeeds, it could lead to a situation where both he and Mbah, from the same zone, would be eligible to seek a second term in 2031, potentially sidelining Enugu West.

“Enugu cannot afford such self-serving disruption,” he said.

Quoting Vice President Kashim Shettima, 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.”

He concluded that considerations of performance, equity, justice and adherence to zoning favour continuity under Governor Mbah rather than what he described as “risky experiments with untested one-term vows”.