I always say it; Aba people are more Abia than Abians.
I remember it vividly. I was just a young boy in Constitution Crescent Primary School II, still in primary school, when the name OUK began to echo in the streets of Aba. It was 1999, and the atmosphere was electric. I still recall hearing Barr. Geoffrey Ike Nwaticha campaigned for OUK on the radio.
One day, I overheard my parents say, “We will vote for PDP; that’s OUK’s party.” maybe because Nwaticha was our church member too.
And just like that, OUK won the election, becoming the first civilian governor of Abia State in the new democratic era.
From the very beginning, he sprang into action building roads across Aba like someone with a personal war against potholes. His love for football? Unmatched! He brought life to Enyimba FC, helping them clinch the CAF Champions League title twice, a historic milestone.
He didn’t just fund the team, he was there, physically, in the stands, cheering with the fans. Enyimba Stadium became our very own Anfield; a fortress. No opponent wanted to play there. We were proud. Guess what, very few roads he built are still good.
But as it goes in Nigeria, the godfather baton was passed.
After his 8-year tenure, OUK handed the baton to T.A. who ironically won the election from prison. Yes! prison. That felt like telling a known witch, “Please help me babysit my newborn.”
His time as governor? Eight years of sorrow. Aba became hell. The phrase “Aba dirty” didn’t just start trending, it became our reality. The filth, the broken roads, the neglect… it was unbearable.
I remember when he visited Aba once, the crowd greeted him with chants of “Onye oshi!!!” He was so embarrassed, he went back to Umuahia and literally removed Aba from the map of Abia, at least that’s how it felt.
Fast forward again, just like OUK did, T.A. installed his own successor, Dr. Victor. He sold us the idea of “onye Aba ga-aru Aba” that someone from Aba would rebuild Aba. Most of us didn’t buy into it. But he still won.
And what did he leave us with after 8 years?
Kilimanjaro
Domino’s Pizza
₦500 for pregnant women
And a mini flyover wrapped with the insult: “Flyover ogbasara unu?”
By then, Aba had had enough. We have learned our lesson. We didn’t just want change, we were desperate for it.
Then came Alex, the Labour Party (LP) candidate. This time, Aba people came out en masse. We voted, but we didn’t just vote, we stayed back, guarded our votes, and insisted they be uploaded immediately. Enough was enough.
And by the grace of God, Prof. Nnenna Otti stood firm. She allowed God to use her, refused to be compromised, and called the results as they were.
It was a Wednesday, I remember it so clearly, when Alex was declared winner. Aba erupted in celebration. People were trekking home joyfully; who needs Keke when joy is this deep?
It felt like light had returned to Aba. Hope had a name again.
Today, two years into his tenure, Otti has proven beyond doubt that a governor can perform, if he really wants to.
Just take a walk through Aba today, you won’t believe your eyes.
It is nothing short of a miracle.
Aba deserves all the good things coming to it, Aba has suffered in the hands of past leaders.
