Edward David Onoja – Biography, Political Career & Legacy Verified listing

Early Career and Professional Background
After graduation, Edward Onoja completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. During this period, he served with TotalFina-ELF Petroleum Nigeria Limited, where he worked in the Exploration Department as a trainee geologist.

Following his youth service, he transitioned into the banking sector. In 2001, he joined Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank), where he underwent professional training in Lagos before being posted to the Jos Branch as a Customer Service Officer.

He rose through the ranks and was later promoted to Operations Manager, participating in the establishment of several GTBank branches, including those in Makurdi, Lokoja, Obajana, Okene, and Lafia. He also served as a Training Officer for Northern Nigeria.

In 2009, Onoja joined Access Bank Plc as a Relationship Manager, first in Lokoja and later at the Asokoro Branch, Abuja, where he handled commercial and corporate banking portfolios.

In 2011, he exited the banking industry and founded On and On Global Resources Limited, a financial consulting firm with interests in risk advisory, power, and energy sectors.

In 2013, he joined Taleveras Group, an oil and gas company, where he served as General Manager, Exploration and Production, and was later elevated to Director, Exploration and Production in 2015. His work involved domestic and international oil and gas partnerships and asset management.

Political Career
Edward Onoja’s entry into partisan politics began in 2011, when he contested the Olamaboro State Constituency seat of the Kogi State House of Assembly under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

In the buildup to the 2015 general elections, he became actively involved in political mobilization. He served as Director-General of the Kogi Youth Arise Group, a political support group that played a role in mobilizing youth support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the elections.

Later in 2015, he was appointed Chief Strategist and Director-General of the Yahaya Bello Governorship Campaign Organization. Following the swearing-in of Governor Yahaya Bello in January 2016, Onoja was appointed Chief of Staff to the Governor, a position he held until October 2019.

In 2019, following the impeachment of the former deputy governor, Simon Achuba, Edward Onoja was nominated and sworn in as Deputy Governor of Kogi State. He subsequently contested and won the office in the 16 November 2019 governorship election, serving until 2024.

He also served as Director-General of the APC Campaigns in Kogi State during the 2019 general elections.