John James Akpan Udo-Edehe was elected Senator for the Akwa Ibom North East District of Akwa Ibom State,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

at the start of the

Nigerian Fourth Republic The Fourth Republic is the current republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999, it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and ...

, running on the

People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to: * People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan *People's Democratic Party (Belize) *People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) *People's Democratic Party (Chile) * People's Democratic Party (Dom ...

(PDP) platform. He took office on 29 May 1999.

Background

Akpan Udo-Edehe was born on 9 November 1963 in Afaha Offot,

Uyo Uyo is the capital city of Akwa Ibom in South South Nigeria. Ibibio is the language spoken in Uyo. It became the capital on September 23, 1987 when Akwa Ibom was created from the former Cross River State. According to the 2006 Nigerian Cens ...

Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. He studied at Holy Trinity College, Mbiakong, in

Uruan Uruan is located in the south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of the Akwa Ibom State. Uruan Local Government Area was created in 1988 from the Uyo Local Government Area. It covers an approximate land mass of 449 km2. Its population, acco ...

LGA (1975–1979), and in 1990 was admitted to the University of Uyo, where he studied

Sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

. Later he studied for an M.Sc in Sociology of Development at the University of Calabar, graduating in 2006. He started work in 1980 as Sales Manager/Personal Assistant to the Chairman of Dajucom Nigeria. He became Managing Director/Executive Chairman of John Silver Nigeria Limited in 1987.

Political career

Udo-Edehe was elected Chairman of the

Local Government and then chairman of Uyo Council with the full support of Mr. Inyang Udoh before being elected to the Senate in 1999. His administration was probed by the Akwa Ibom Military Administrator, Navy Captain

Joseph Adeusi Navy Captain (retired) Joseph Adeduro Adeusi was governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria from August 1996 to August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. As administrator, Adeusi founded the Akwa United Football Club, which played ...

. In 1997, he won election as Senator for Uyo during the attempted return to democracy under General

Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...

. In 1999, he again ran for the Uyo Senatorial District on the

(PDP) platform, and was elected. He held office until May 2003. After taking his seat in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Udo-Edehe was appointed to committees on Industry, Labour, Finance & Appropriation, Internal Affairs, Information, Privatization (chairman) and Government Affairs. Udo-Edehe was Vice Chairman of the Campaign Organisation for election of

Obong Victor Attah Obong Victor Bassey Attah (born 20 November 1938) was Governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), but has since joined the All Progr ...

as Governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2003. He was chairman of

Godswill Akpabio Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, (born 9 December 1962), is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He is the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs as he resigned on 11 May 2022 on the direction of President Muhammadu Buhari to contest at presidentia ...

's successful campaign for Akwa Ibom governorship in 2006/2007. He was appointed Minister of State for the

Federal Capital Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

(FCT) by President

Umaru Yar'Adua Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who, was the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. He was declared the winner of the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 20 ...

on 26 July 2007. His Senate screening managed to pass despite opposition from party leaders in his state. He was relieved of his position on 29 October 2008 in a major cabinet shake-up. In 2010, he started a campaign to become the 2011 PDP candidate for governor of Akwa Ibom State. The Akwa Ibom Democratic Voice, a group led by

Annang The Anaang (also spelled Annang) are a sub-ethnic group of the larger Ibibio people, whose land is primarily within 8 of the present 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State: Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk ...

people loyal to the incumbent Governor Akpabio tried to prevent his political campaign in the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, pulling down his posters. In June 2010, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State,

, endorsed Udoedehe as candidate, saying Akwa Ibom had become a failed state under Akpabio's administration. In 2015 Senator Udoedehe re-ran for the gubernatorial election but was defeated by Obong Umana Okon Umana, in the primaries election. After another defeat in 2018 at primaries, in March 2020 Sen. John.J. Udoedehe, was issued an appointment as Board member Nigerian Ports Authority.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Udo-Edehe, John James Akpan Federal ministers of Nigeria 1960 births Living people People from Uyo Peoples Democratic Party members of the Senate (Nigeria) University of Uyo alumni University of Calabar alumni Akwa Ibom State politicians 20th-century Nigerian politicians 21st-century Nigerian politicians