Popularly known as “God’s Own State,” Abia was carved out of the old Imo State on August 27, 1991, under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Following its creation, Air Vice Marshal Frank Ajobena served as the inaugural military administrator before civilian rule ushered in Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu as the state’s first democratically elected governor. After subsequent periods of military rule, the country transitioned back to permanent democracy in 1999. Since then, five individuals have officially held office as democratically elected governors of Abia State:....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

1. 1. Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (January 1992 – November 1993): Running under the National Republican Convention (NRC) during the short-lived Third Republic, Onu won the 1991 election and took office in January 1992. His tenure was cut short by General Sani Abacha’s 1993 military takeover. He later served as Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology under President Muhammadu Buhari before passing away in April 2024.

   2. Orji Uzor Kalu (May 1999 – May 2007): As the Fourth Republic’s first civilian governor in the state, Kalu won the 1999 election on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform and secured a second term under the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). After completing his two terms, he transitioned to national politics and became the senator representing Abia North.

   3. Theodore Orji (May 2007 – May 2015): Succeeding Kalu, Theodore Orji initially won office under the PPA before later moving to the PDP, where he successfully secured his second term in 2011. Following the conclusion of his tenure in 2015, he moved on to represent Abia Central in the National Assembly until 2023.

   4. Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (May 2015 – May 2023): Ikpeazu won the 2015 governorship under the PDP after surviving legal challenges from his main opponent, Alex Otti, up to the Supreme Court. He won re-election in 2019 and served two terms until 2023, which also concluded the PDP’s long-standing dominance in the state.

   5. Dr. Alex Otti (May 2023 – Present): A former banking executive, Otti won the March 18, 2023 governorship election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) after defeating the PDP candidate, Okey Ahiwe. He assumed office on May 29, 2023, marking a historic shift in Abia’s political landscape.

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has stressed the need for a aggressive financial crackdown on drug syndicates, emphasizing that crippling their wealth is vital to dismantling the illegal drug trade. Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at an asset-recovery and financial investigation training program, Marwa noted that conventional arrests and drug seizures alone are insufficient because cartels easily bounce back if their financial assets and backers remain untouched.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Highlighting that drug trafficking functions primarily as a profit-driven enterprise, Marwa called for investigators to trace financial pipelines alongside standard operations to catch financiers, launderers, and facilitators. He cautioned that modern criminal networks increasingly rely on advanced technology—including cryptocurrencies, complex corporate layering, and legitimate business fronts—to obscure illicit funds. Consequently, he urged personnel to upgrade their digital and cross-border investigative capabilities to disrupt operations and strip traffickers of their ill-gotten wealth.

Marwa further pointed out that the drug trade deeply intersects with other organised crimes like corruption, cybercrime, human trafficking, and illegal arms dealing, making inter-agency synergy with bodies like the EFCC, ICPC, and NFIU crucial. He also warned against asset mismanagement, stressing absolute transparency during seizure and forfeiture processes. The event also featured remarks from Federal High Court Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho—represented by Justice Inyang Ekwo—who commended the NDLEA’s leadership and echoed the necessity of advanced judicial and law enforcement cooperation to combat evolving financial and cyber-enabled narcotics crimes.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has admitted he is struggling to come to terms with the passing of his close political ally, Dan Orbih, who died on Monday, August 31, 2026. Orbih’s family formally announced his death through a statement released by Francis Udukhomoi Orbih, Esq.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶