Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi (born 5 January 1962) is a Nigerian politician who served as a Minister of Aviation from July 2, 2011 to February 12, 2014 and as a Senator from Anambra North Senatorial District.

She was also the Director of Administration and Finance during the political campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan. Oduah was a delegate for Nigeria at the papal inauguration of Pope Francis in 2013, accompanying the President of the Senate, David Mark and Viola Onwuliri.

She has been involved in controversies ranging from allegations of inflation of BMW cars as well as her education and degree.

In 2015, she was elected to the Nigerian Senate to represent Anambra North Senatorial District. She was one of the only seven women elected to the 8th Senate session; the others included Rose Okoji Oko, Uche Ekwunife, Fatimat Raji Rasaki, Oluremi Tinubu, Abiodun Olujimi, and Binta Garba.

Oduah was re-elected to a second term in the Senate in 2019.

In 2022, she ran again under the All Progressives Congress (APC) but lost to the incumbent Senator Tony Nwoye.

Oduah was born to Igwe D.O. Oduah of Akili-Ozizor, Ogbaru Local Government Area (L.G.A.) in Anambra State on January 5, 1962.

Oduah-Ogiemwonyi received her bachelor's and master's degrees (in Accounting and Business Administration respectively) in the United States.

She returned to Nigeria in 1983 and joined the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). In 1992, she left the NNPC to establish the Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Limited (SPG), an independent marketer of petroleum products in Nigeria.

She was married to the former Minister for Works, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, and has children.

On February 9, 2014, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) indicted Stella Oduah and the Nigerian subsidiary of the Chinese Construction Giant, CCECC, for alleged fraudulent cash transactions amounting to about ₦5 billion over five months.

On 26 August 2021, Stella Oduah left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). When asked, she stated she joined the ruling party to change the ‘political narrative’ in the South-East region of Nigeria.

Party Positions

Policy positions from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) party manifesto.

Education

Ensure free education up to Junior Secondary School (JSS1) level and commit to revamping tertiary education.

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Healthcare

Provide free medical services for pregnant women and children under five years, rehabilitate health facilities in each LGA, and support local production of essential drugs.

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Infrastructure

Accelerate the completion of key rail projects, including standard gauge rail lines between Lagos and Kano (Phase 1) and Port Harcourt to Jos (Phase 2), by privatizing or concessioning the Nigerian Railway Corporation to private operators.

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Security & Defense

PDP plans to refine recruitment methods, retrain personnel, improve logistics, and strengthen early warning systems for police reform.

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Anti-corruption

PDP commits to strengthening anti-corruption institutions (EFCC & ICPC) and enforcing transparency reforms, including asset declaration laws and removal of immunity clauses for public officials.

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Energy

PDP pledges to eliminate gas flaring, enforce air pollution regulations, complete deregulation of downstream petroleum sector, and lay gas pipelines nationwide for industrial use.

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Environment & Climate

Commits to reclaiming and rehabilitating land devastated by desertification and soil erosion through afforestation in affected areas.

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Technology & Digital

Will establish internet/computer learning centers in all LGAs, provide computers for secondary schools, and enforce local content policy for telecom equipment.

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