Onyewuchi Ezenwa Francis

Onyewuchi Francis Ezenwa was born in 1968 in Orji, Owerri North Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State.

His father, Ambrose Olumba Onyewuchi, was a member of the Eastern Region Parliament during Nigeria’s First Republic and served as Commissioner under Governor Sam Mbakwe, shaping Imo State’s foundational infrastructure.

He attended Government College Owerri for secondary education before earning a B.Sc from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MBA. He completed youth service in Rivers State and later worked in Lagos, establishing businesses in manufacturing, real estate, and commodity trading.

Ezenwa obtained an MSc in Public Policy and Administration from SOAS University of London. Married Chikamadu Onyewuchi (née Njamzanze) from the Njemanze Royal Family of Owerri.

He entered politics through the PDP in 2003, contesting unsuccessfully for a House of Representatives seat before stepping down to support Kema Chikwe’s governorship bid. After the elections, he joined APGA and later returned to PDP’s ranks.

In 2011, he won the Imo State House of Representatives seat representing Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West Federal constituency. He was re-elected in 2015 and served as Chairman of the Labour, Employment, and Productivity Committee under Speaker Dogara.

A Senate candidate since 2019, he won Imo East Senatorial district’s PDP primaries (68.90% vote share) but lost the party’s internal primary for retention in 2022 to Uche Onyeagucha. He decamped to LP and secured victory in the 2023 general election with 100,631 votes against PDP’s 87,229.

Since his 2023 Senate win under LP, he has been appointed Vice Chair of the State/Local Government Committee and Chairman of NASENI, focusing on digital skills training for youths. His legislative contributions include bills on older persons’ rights, education infrastructure, labour reforms, and ICT empowerment.