Sen Enyinnaya Abaribe


A few days ago, a Twitter handle @RealOlaudah posted: “I'm so excited about my state Anambra. After Ngige and Obi's marvelous work, we seem to have gotten another erudite man at the helm.” He was of course referring to the emergence of Professor Chukwuma Soludo as the Governor-elect of Anambra State. My response referenced the fact that Anambra State has always been blessed with fairly good leadership by the Nigerian standard such that someone like Willie Obiano was considered a failure and wished that my home state— Abia— would at least one day boast of someone at the level of Obiano. 

For indeed, an Obiano in Abia would have been a Messiah as the state has since the dawn of the fourth Republic become the poster child of bad, irresponsible, and oftentimes ludicrous government cheered on by a shameless coterie of sycophants who would, for N5,000, sell their souls to whoever is in government. There is no need to attempt any elaboration on how the state is the perfect example of bad or irresponsible governance. Even the most clueless person in the country easily references Abia as a state with no responsible governance. This, we all know, is because a few people whom providence or sheer manipulation helped to  find themselves in charge of the affairs of the state have continued to plunder the state, and glory in the suffering of her people. Unprepared, and suddenly thrust into leadership, these persons have either spent time ripping the state off, or perfectly performed their role of aiding the rip-off as spineless puppets. 

Worse still, the current administration in Abia State, aptly checkmated and controlled by a hawk of a legislature, has suddenly become a caricature fully represented by media mercenaries paid by and fully guided by the same set of people handcuffing the current government and for whom it is a blood oath that Abia must remain in chains.

 So, the moment the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe announced that he would contest for the Governorship seat in 2023, all hell was let loose(and it was easy to let hell loose. All they needed to do was remind their mercenaries that Abaribe stands for integrity and a fearless drive for excellence, and the mercenaries realized that the Senator would be a threat to their positions as crumbs-focused attack dogs.)

All hell was let loose, not because Enyinnaya Abaribe had done something morally irresponsible— he had not. If doing what is morally right was the target of these mercenaries, they would  not be calling for someone from a family who has held Abia chained for close to sixteen years to take over the same office Senator Abaribe declared interest in. After all, that too will negate the spirit of “equity” they are touting as their reason for picking up arms against Senator Abaribe. 

The anger is solely because Enyinnaya Abaribe represents a change from the status quo, and a chance for Abia State to emerge from the shadows and rival other progressive states. They do not want this because it will take food off the tables of Abia’s parasites who are in fact their benefactors. So, for them, it is not about the good of Abia— they know that Abaribe will usher in a great Abia— it is about losing their own sources of livelihood. 

And here is my own reflections on Senator Abaribe becoming the Governor of Abia State:

I do not think that Senator Abaribe will suddenly become Abia’s messiah. No. After all, he has been within the corridors of power for about two decades now. However, this will be the first time he will be given executive power. Considering his pedigree, and especially the fact that he will not have people standing over him and directing his actions, one easily expects that he will be the first Governor of Abia State who will operate without the limitations of godfatherism or greed. Abia desperately needs to be freed from these twin evil. 

Abaribe is clearly the kind of Governor who can hold his own amongst his equals and also be able to engage fearlessly with the federal government for the good of Ndi Abia. This, everyone knows from his antecedents over the years. Abians know this. Abaribe’s detractors also know this. So, in fighting him, it is not about the good of Abia State, but the fear that if Abaribe becomes Governor, his focus will not be on satiating the needs of the vultures feeding on the carcass of Abia, but it will be on reviving a near-dead state, and hoisting the flag of hope for a blessed people, who have been reduced to the level of paupers by self-centered governance for twenty-three years. Basically then, the fight is against Abia’s good, not for the good of the common Abians, and it will be interesting to see how the people respond to this. 

Here then lies the question we should all ask: is the campaign against Abaribe about the good of Abia or for the interest of selfish persons intent on ensuring that the chains holding Abia are strengthened? The truth, they say breaks like the sun. 

At this moment when Abia State has become the laughing stock of every Tom and Harry especially when it comes to leadership, every focus should be on ushering a strong leadership that will break away from the status quo, and firmly place the state on the path to sustainable regeneration. In other words, quality should be at the front burner and not such archaic considerations as where the leader comes from.


*Nnaemeka Oruh serves as Focal Point Administrator to the UNFCCC Parliamentary Group, and writes from Abuja.