| Office | Board Member SEDC Representing North Central |
|---|---|
| Term start | January 2025 |
| Office 1 | Deputy Governor of Kogi State |
| Governor 1 | Yahaya Bello |
| Term start 1 | 21 October 2019 |
| Term end 1 | 27 January 2024 |
| Predecessor 1 | Simon Achuba |
| Successor 1 | Salifu Joel |
| Office 2 | Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kogi State |
| Governor 2 | Yahaya Bello |
| Term start 2 | January 2016 |
| Term end 2 | October 2019 |
| Birth name | Edward David Onoja |
| Birth date | 9 August 1974 (age 52) |
| Birth place | Olamaboro, Benue-Plateau State (now in Kogi State), Nigeria |
| Party | All Progressives Congress |
| Education | University of Jos |
| Occupation | Politician · banker |
| Spouse | Ejura Onoja |
| Website | edwarddavidonoja.com |
Edward David Onoja (; born 9 August 1974) is a Nigerian politician who served as the deputy governor of Kogi State from 2019 to 2024.[1][2][3] He was chief of staff to the governor of Kogi State from January 2016 to October 2019 when he assumed office as deputy governor.[4] He is currently serving as the pioneer member representing North Central on the board of South East Development Commission.[5]
Background
Edward David Onoja was born in August 1974. He hails from Odidoko-Emonyoku in Ogugu District of Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.[6]
He had his Primary School Education in Lagos State and later proceeded to Federal Government College, Kwali, Abuja for his Secondary School Education.[7] In 1999, He graduated from the University of Jos with a Second (Upper Division) in Geology and Mining and invariably was one of the top graduating students in his class.[8] He was active in student unionism and politics and eventually became the first elected President of his Faculty's Association: Natural Science Students Association (NASSA) in University of Jos between 1998 -1999.[9]
Politics
His first venture into politics[10] was in 2011 where he was the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the Olamaboro State Constituency in the 2011 General Election.[11] In 2015, he became the director general of the Kogi Youth Arise Group, chaired by Yahaya Bello, a political support group that championed the delivery of the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 General Election in Kogi State. Later that year, he became the chief strategist and director general in the Yahaya Bello, gubernatorial campaign. After the swearing of Governor Yahaya Bello in January 2016. He became the Chief of Staff to the Governor until October 2019[12] when he was elevated to the Deputy Governor[13] after the impeachment of Simon Achuba. In the 16 November 2019 general election, he was elected as the Deputy Governor of Kogi State.[14]
Onoja was also appointed the director-general, APC Campaigns for the 2019 General Elections in Kogi State. He discharged that assignment with unprecedented results. The APC won 25 out of the 25 state constituency assembly seats in Kogi State. The party also won seven out of the nine federal constituency seats in the state and two out of the three senate seats.[15] Based on the recent ruling of the elections tribunals nullifying the only senate seat lost by the APC, Onoja made a clean sweep of all three senatorial seats in Kogi State.[10][16][17]
References
- ^ "TODAY - Latest breaking news and top stories from Nigeria and the world". Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
- ^ "Wife of Kogi deputy governor attacked in Dekina". P.M. News. 2019-11-16. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Kogi Deputy Gov, Onoja leads Visitation Team to Palace of Attah Igala, Ejehs Dekina, Ankpa". Vanguard. 2021-12-31. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
- ^ "Home". TheCable
- ^ "Senate Confirms Okoye, Ma'aji, 30 Others for SEDC, NWDC Boards". Leadership. 15 January 2025.
- ^ "His Excellency, Chief Edward Onoja". Kogistate.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Furore as Kogi inaugurates Onoja as deputy governor". The Guardian. 22 October 2019.
- ^ "On Edward Onoja's supportive nature the Nation Newspaper". The Nation. 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Edward David Onoja's biography, fact, career, awards, net worth and life story". 650.org. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Families Accuse Ex-Kogi Deputy Gov, Security Operatives Of Conspiracy In Deaths Of Corrections Officer, Photographer | Sahara Reporters". saharareporters.com. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
- ^ "Yahaya Bello and Edward Onoja; the Uncommon Bond". 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Edward Onoja Sworn in as Kogi Deputy Governor". Nationalinsightnews.com. 21 October 2019.
- ^ "Deputy Gov Edward Onoja reveals how Yahaya Bello created millionaires in Kogi - Vanguard News". Vanguard. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Yahaya Bello declared winner of Kogi governorship election". Premium Times. 18 November 2019.
- ^ "APC Sweeps All 25 State Assembly Seats in Kogi". This Day. 25 March 2019.
- ^ "Edward Onoja Sworn In As Kogi Deputy Governor". Channelstv.com. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
- ^ "Kogi chief judge swears in Onoja as Deputy Governor". Premium Times. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-12-11.