Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the immediate past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said President Bola Tinubu gave her a free hand in office and that the room he allowed her helped the ministry record success and relative peace during her tenure. She also said she would soon declare her ambition ahead of the 2027 elections, as constituents pressed her to return to the National Assembly.
Onyejeocha spoke at a grand homecoming reception organised by the people of Umunneochi Local Government Area, where traditional rulers conferred on her the chieftaincy title Anyanwu Nenye Ihe I. The event also included the conferment of the title Ikeoha on Tinubu, who was represented by Donatus Nwankpa.
Her remarks landed at a moment when politics in her constituency is already turning toward 2027. Onyejeocha said several supporters had offered to buy her nomination forms, but added that she had already made provisions for them herself. She told the gathering there were not enough demons to stop her, a declaration that drew a sharp line between the enthusiasm around her return and the race she still has to run.
She said her record in the area includes federal interventions that helped address erosion in Isuikwuato and Umunneochi, along with educational institutions, youth employment opportunities, scholarships and annual medical outreaches. The praise was echoed by HRH Eze Franklin Ohalezim, who said Onyejeocha attracted federal institutions such as the Federal School of Aviation and the Federal Polytechnic, Ngodo Isuochi, while Chijioke Chukwu described her as an epitome of hard work and integrity.
Onyejeocha’s move back toward an elective contest follows a familiar path. She served four terms in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2023, later became minister in 2023 after losing her House bid, and recently resigned that post after Tinubu directed public office holders seeking elective positions in 2027 to step down. The homecoming showed that her local base is already treating her as a candidate again, and the next big test is whether she turns that momentum into a formal declaration and a campaign.
