By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD

On January 30, the people of Ukwa La Ngwa gathered in their thousands at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, in what has become a defining moment in Abia’s evolving political history. The massive turnout was a deliberate and collective declaration of political direction.

In an unprecedented show of unity, the entrepreneurial and oil producing Ukwa La Ngwa region, which accounts for nine of Abia State’s seventeen local government areas, formally endorsed the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, ahead of the 2027 general election. The endorsement sent a clear message that the people have assessed the present leadership, weighed the alternatives, and chose continuity based on performance.

Before Governor Otti’s emergence in 2023, Abia State was mired in decay, weighed down by the cumulative failures of successive incompetent administrations. Aba, once a vibrant commercial hub and the heartbeat of indigenous enterprise, was abandoned to infrastructural collapse and crippling insecurity. Economic activities dwindled as neglect became institutionalised.

The Ukwa La Ngwa oil producing belt fared no better. Despite its strategic importance and contributions, the region was left without basic amenities and meaningful development. Worse still, some of its political leaders aligned themselves with failed governments, pursuing selfish interests and personal aggrandisement at the expense of their people.

The emergence of Governor Alex Otti marked a decisive break from this chequered past. Today, the Ukwa La Ngwa landscape tells a new story, one defined by visible infrastructure, renewed economic activities, and restored public confidence. Development is no longer a slogan but a lived reality.

It is important to recall that many who once occupied positions of authority were at the forefront of resistance against Dr. Otti’s democratic quest to build a New Abia. In 2014, he resigned from a flourishing career as a bank chief executive and renowned economist to join the liberation struggle. His first attempt in 2015 was brazenly truncated through massive electoral manipulation in parts of Ukwa La Ngwa, effectively stealing his mandate. The injustice was repeated in 2019 through similar acts of rigging.

Perhaps the most unfortunate chapter was the orchestrated campaign of calumny and blackmail deliberately designed to alienate the people of Ukwa La Ngwa from Dr. Otti. In a desperate and unholy attempt to undermine his growing popularity, political adversaries paraded coffins and performed libations, an act that reflected the moral bankruptcy of those opposed to genuine progress.

Yet, the resilience of Governor Otti and the collective resolve of Abians ultimately prevailed. In 2023, every attempt to subvert the will of the people failed. With his eventual declaration as governor, Abia State was liberated from years of maladministration, and a new governance order was firmly established.

Governor Otti has since demonstrated that good governance is not rocket science but a function of preparedness, competence, commitment, and capacity. In less than three years, his administration has delivered results that had eluded Abia for decades. Now widely celebrated as the Original Nwa Aba, Governor Otti has restored Aba’s pride through massive infrastructural renewal and economic revitalisation.

Projects once promised but never delivered by successive administrations, particularly the immediate past government of Okezie Ikpeazu, which branded itself with the slogan Nwa Aba Ga Aru Aba, are now being executed seamlessly and with clear vision.

Major roads including Portharcourt Road, Ngwa Road, Ohanku Road, Omuma Road, Obohia Road, Aba Owerri Road, have been reconstructed, commissioned while many others are undergoing reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Further reinforcing this transformation, the Governor also announced the total reconstruction of Uratta Road and Old Express Road which will be flagged-off in the coming weeks. The hitherto devastating Ovom erosion site and road project will be commissioned on February 13, the same day the Enyimba International Hotel at Ogbor Hill, being developed in partnership with Radisson Blu, will be officially flagged off.

The open and historic endorsement of Governor Otti for a second term by the people of Ukwa La Ngwa, alongside the leadership of Aba Union under Barrister Theo Nkire, marks a political watershed. This level of collective support, which was absent in 2015 and 2019, has fundamentally altered the political landscape of Abia ahead of the 2027 general election.

As aptly predicted by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe at the event, Governor Otti’s 2027 re-election bid may well be driven by a broad coalition of political parties. This projection is rooted in the Governor’s exceptional performance, having touched and transformed virtually every sector of the state in under three years.

For Governor Otti, the journey is far from complete. Much work remains to be done. For the people of Abia State, the path forward is clear. Through the power of the ballot, Abians are poised to renew his mandate in 2027, ensuring continuity, consolidation, and the completion of the transformative agenda already redefining Abia’s future.

The endorsement of Governor Alex Chioma Otti by the people of Ukwa La Ngwa is therefore far more than a political gesture. It is a referendum on leadership, competence, and trust. It reflects a conscious decision by a region that once felt neglected to align itself with a government that has demonstrated fairness, capacity, and vision.

As Abia looks toward 2027, the Ukwa La Ngwa declaration stands as a powerful signal that the era of empty promises and failed governance has given way to measurable progress and purposeful leadership. It affirms a shared commitment to sustain the reforms underway, deepen development across all regions, and secure a future defined by opportunity, stability, and inclusive growth under Governor Otti’s continued leadership.

Dr. Ebere Uzoukwa is a proud son of Ukwa La Ngwa and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Abia State on Public Affairs.