THISDAY gathered that the clamour for Onu’s appointment began after the presidential and National Assembly elections when the South-east failed to produce any senator on the APC platform for possible election as the Senate President.
It has also emerged that Buhari may appoint a former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige as Minister of Health.
Onu, who was one of the few Nigerians to bag a doctorate degree in chemical engineering without a Masters degree, was in 1991 elected governor of Abia State on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC).
He also served as the first chairman of the conference of elected governors, and among other reforms, appointed non-Abians into the state civil service as a way of uniting Nigeria.
THISDAY gathered that the APC leaders believe that Onu towers above several other politicians from the South-east in terms of experience, exposure and integrity.A top APC chieftain told THISDAY that Onu was the most acceptable candidate from the South-east for the SGF job, saying appointing him would “add tremendous value” to the Buhari presidency.
“Dr. Onu schooled in Abakaliki, University of Lagos, and University of California, before returning to teach in University of Port Harcourt. He was elected governor on the platform of NRC, a party considered a northern party. “He has remained consistent since 1999 when he emerged All Peoples Party presidential candidate, unlike several people who joined the party because PDP chased them away. He later became national chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party, and twice gave President Buhari the ticket to contest the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections,” he declared.
-Thisday