“Although Gov Alex otti has not announced publicly that he will be on the ballot next year, At any rate Abia people will make it impossible for any kind of anti-Otti manipulation to happen in any polling unit”
By Dodo Okafor
Here are 5 central development events and programmes to look out for in Abia this 2026
Governor Alex Otti, OFR, the pace-setting leader of the New Abia, has announced that he is not perturbed by permutations and speculations around the 2027 general election.
For the Governor, the arithmetic for electoral victory, if you are an incumbent, is simple: work so hard that you leave opposition nothing to campaign with.
Although the leader has not announced publicly that he will be on the ballot next year, millions of us are actively praying that he is led into presenting himself for re-election after what has been an eye-opening, era-defining first term.
As we continue to pray and hope, here are 5 development events the Governor would be committing much of his time and energy to in the New Year.
To be clear, he also understands the expectations of our people but as a visionary leader, he is putting development, the people, first.
1. The commissioning of Omenuko Bridge: this event, if you are not already aware, has been billed for Friday, February 13, 2026. Yes, the Omenuko Bridge, abandoned for eons, has now been fixed (an entirely new, more resilient bridge is constructed just beside the old one) by Governor Otti and will be commissioned for public use this coming Friday. This event will mark a new dawn in the development outlook of the State and reinforce the old Shakespearean saying that the fault was never in our stars, but in ourselves. Yes, it was not ghosts who held this State back for ages, it was simply the absence of quality leaders and Governor Otti has in 32 months proven that leadership is everything. See you in Abam, Arochukwu LGA on Friday as we make history together. We shall talk about the roads that will also be commissioned around the communities (Abam and Arochukwu) on the same day much later in the week. As my radio host friend would say, don’t go nowhere.
2. The reconstruction of Old Express and Uratta Roads in Aba: As the Governor said in January, fixing these roads will mark the full restoration of Aba and if you know the story of Aba, its rise, decline and then abandonment over the last 2 decades, you will agree with me that fixing these roads and re-establishing communities and businesses along that corridor, after years of devastation and losses, are more important considerations than any idle political permutations now. Gov. Otti is clear focused on the recovery and restoration of Abia, his opponents are free to keep chasing shadows in the name of politicking, in 2027, the people will speak. And it would certainly not be in the favour of those who imagine us to be fools…
3. The flag off of the reconstruction and elevation of Enyimba Hotel into a 5-star world class hospitality facility: This event has been scheduled to happen in this quarter and if you are familiar with the terrain, you may have noticed that serious construction and civil engineering works have been going on for a while. The expectation is that in no time, Abia shall have a truly world class hotel brand functioning here, Radisson Blu, serving the people and adding to the appeal of Aba as a major urban and business destination in Africa.
4. Commissioning of the multi-modal transport terminal in Umuahia: All things being equal, the State capital Umuahia will witness a major boost in its social infrastructure stock following the anticipated commissioning of the ultra-modern urban transport and ancillary services terminal in the city later in the year. With provisions for lodging, restaurants and retail outlets, the Umuahia transport terminal will cater for the multi-level needs of transporters, commuters and the general public who will be drawn to the facility at any time of the day or night. Again, this project is more important to Governor Otti than dissipating energy bantering words with politically spent forces.
5. The operationalisation of the electric-vehicles-powered Abia mass transit system with 100 buses, covering major urban and semi-urban addresses, subsided rates to commuters, more than 50% off the regular toll and comfort and safety for every passenger. In the end, you will clearly agree with me that Governor Otti is changing our social experiences as Abians and for him, that is a more important commitment than idle talks about “writing election results in 2027.” As the Governor had rightly said, don’t just plan to write results, also get yourself ready for…..
The truth at any rate is that our people will make it impossible for any sort of anti-Otti manipulation to happen in any polling unit.
It just won’t happen.
Extra: Also watch out for the commissioning of smart schools, the new hostel facilities and then the brand new faculty of law building at ABSU.
How about the independent energy supply for the community and similar other development initiatives around the campus?
Should I tell you something more about some big ticket projects that are already in the pipeline?
Watch out…
