Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the esteemed former governor of Abia State, has passed away at the age of 72 in a hospital in Abuja.
His death was confirmed by a source close to the family, who revealed that Dr. Onu had been battling illness for a while. The family had intended to seek advanced medical treatment abroad following the Sallah break, but unfortunately, he did not survive until then.
Dr. Onu was not just a politician, but also a respected scientist and educator. Prior to his political career, he served as a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt. His entry into national politics occurred during President Ibrahim Babangida’s unsuccessful transition to civilian rule in the early 1990s.
In 1992, Dr. Onu was elected as the governor of Abia State. His tenure, however, was abruptly ended by the military coup led by General Sani Abacha in 1994, which ousted the civilian administration of Ernest Shonekan.
Despite the premature end to his governorship, Dr. Onu remained an influential figure in Nigerian politics, even running for the presidency on several occasions.
Dr. Onu’s final role in public service was as the Minister of Science and Technology under President Buhari. His contributions to both the scientific and political fields will be remembered.
