UMUAHIA – The Abia Patriots have felicitated Ndi Abia at home and in the diaspora on the 35th anniversary of the creation of Abia State, paying tribute to the founding fathers and successive leaders who have contributed to the state’s development.
In a statement issued on August 27, 2026, the group’s Secretary General, Mazi Adindu Madumere, described the milestone as a moment to reflect on the vision of the state’s founders and the progress made over three decades.
“Thirty-five years ago, a dream took flight. Today, that dream walks, works, and witnesses. As we mark this tricenarian milestone, we do so with hearts full of gratitude to God and to the men and women whose vision midwifed ‘God’s Own State,'” Madumere said.
The group paid tribute to the founding fathers of Abia State, including Dr. Michael I. Okpara, Mr. B. A. Wachukwu, Hon. Dr. M.A.O. Agbara, Dr. Anagha Ezeikpe, Senator S.M. Ojukwu, J.O.J. Okezie, Hon. S.U. Nwangaga, and Prof. J.C. Ogbonnaya.
The Abia Patriots said these patriots, under the banner of the Abia State Movement, marched to the National Assembly in Lagos on July 3, 1980, to make a formal presentation for the creation of Abia State, which was eventually established on August 27, 1991.
“To them we say: The elders who plant iroko trees do not sit in their shade, but generations do. Your labour has not been in vain,” Madumere stated.
The group also commended successive military and civilian administrators who built upon the foundation laid by the founding fathers, including Group Captain Frank Ajobena, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Chief Theodore Orji, and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
Special recognition was given to the “Made in Aba” drive, which positioned the state as Nigeria’s MSME centre of excellence, with Abia entrepreneurs excelling in commerce, manufacturing, medicine, engineering, and agriculture.
The Abia Patriots also praised Governor Alex Otti’s administration, describing it as having accomplished what many described as the work of three administrations in just three years.
“Through visionary, disciplined, and results-driven leadership, the government has embarked on a new chapter of intentional development: urban renewal, infrastructural revitalization, strengthening of institutions, reviving the economy, and prioritizing citizens’ welfare,” the group said.
“We believe Dr. Otti has not just governed; he has rebranded our identity. He has taken Abia back to the drawing board of her founders—a state founded on God, driven by enterprise, and sustained by integrity.”
The group urged the governor to sustain the current level of transformational development and encouraged all Abians to partner with the government in unity, faith, and hard work.
“Abia was born great, full of promises, and like Canaan, bound to flourish with milk and honey. The time has come for us to reclaim her position as truly Nigeria’s number one state in every ramification—in commerce, in education, in healthcare, and in governance,” Madumere stated.
