- University of Lagos in 1988.
- Stanford University,
- Harvard Kennedy School of Government
- Harvard University, USA
Chukwuemeka Ihedioha (born 24 March 1965) is a Nigerian politician, businessman, and former governor of Imo State. He served as governor from 29 May 2019 to 14 January 2020, when the Supreme Court of Nigeria declared his opponent, Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the rightful winner of the 2019 gubernatorial election. Ihedioha was also deputy speaker of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015 and served in the National Assembly from 2003 to 2015, representing the Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency of Imo State.
He is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and holds the national honor of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Table of Contents
Early Life and Education
Ihedioha was born on 24 March 1965 in Mbutu, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, Imo State. He attended Town School, Mbutu, and SDA Primary School, Yaba, Lagos. He proceeded to St. Ephraim’s Secondary School, Owerrinta (now in Abia State) and later earned a B.Sc. degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Lagos in 1988.
He also holds an executive certificate in Financial Management from Stanford University and a leadership certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Political Career
Ihedioha began his political career in 1992 as press officer to the then Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu, and later as chief press secretary to the deputy Senate President. After a stint in communications consultancy following the 1993 military coup, he returned to politics in 1999, serving in various presidential advisory roles.
In 2003, he was elected to the House of Representatives and served until 2015. During his tenure, he chaired key committees, including Marine Transport, and later became Chief Whip and Deputy Speaker. He briefly served as acting Speaker in 2015 after Aminu Tambuwal was sworn in as governor of Sokoto State.
In March 2019, Ihedioha contested and won the Imo State gubernatorial election under the PDP. However, his tenure was cut short in January 2020 following a Supreme Court judgment that declared Hope Uzodinma the rightful winner of the election.
On 23 April 2024, Ihedioha formally resigned from the PDP.
Legislative Contributions
During his time in the House of Representatives, Ihedioha was instrumental in passing several maritime-related laws, including:
- International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (2004)
- International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (2005)
- United Nations Convention on Carriage of Goods by Sea (2005)
- Merchant Shipping Act (2007)
- Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria Act (2007)
He also chaired the House Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa and was active in promoting regional integration policies.
Governorship and Executive Reforms
As governor, Ihedioha focused on restoring fiscal discipline and governance transparency in Imo State. His administration introduced:
- Treasury Single Account (TSA)
- Central Billing System (CBS)
- Open Government System (OPS)
- Reactivation of the Bureau for Public Procurement
Under his leadership, Imo State was rated the least corrupt state in Nigeria by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2019, with a record 17.6% corruption prevalence.
Despite his short tenure, he signed 17 new laws into effect and launched several infrastructural and developmental projects across the state.
Personal Life
Emeka Ihedioha is married to Ebere Ihedioha, and they have four children. Outside politics, his business interests span real estate, industrial farming, hospitality, and petroleum sectors. He is a known philanthropist within Imo State and enjoys football (an avid supporter of Arsenal FC), table tennis, and travel.
Related posts:
Prof Placid Chike Njoku
Chidi Mokeme
Professor Dora Nkem Akunyili
Views: 4
N:B Please send your updated CV to: info@igbopeople.org – Editor
© igbopeople.org
All entries on this website will be periodically updated to add, modify, or amend the information or content of existing entries. Consequently, no legal action will be entertained against the biographer for any information considered incomplete or insufficient.