Feelers from the Presidency indicate that the much-talked-about visit by President Bola Tinubu to Abia State to commission some landmark projects undertaken by the administration of Governor Alex Otti may not happen after all.
The Abia government had, on September 30, posted a statement on its website, indicating that the state was “preparing to welcome President Tinubu on October 3, 2025, for the official commissioning of major road projects that signal a new era of infrastructural renewal in Aba under the leadership of Governor Otti.”
Itemising the projects billed for commissioning to include covered drainage and solar-powered street lighting, the statement explained that “the President’s visit will spotlight the transformation of the Port Harcourt Road, historically one of Aba’s busiest commercial corridors, now reconstructed as a modern three-lane dual carriageway.”
Also, the Federal Ministry of Information, through the Federal Information Centre, Umuahia, announced that “Tinubu is set to commission Aba Roads as Otti unveils bold new development drive.”
In the message signed by the Head of Centre, the Federal Information Centre, Gloria Abiakam, disclosed that Otti announced the presidential visit during his ‘Governor Otti Speaks’ monthly media parley at the Government House, Umuahia.
The Abia governor reportedly described the President’s visit as a testament to the state’s rebirth and a new era of federal–state collaboration.
But checks by The Guardian revealed that Tinubu would not be in Umuahia or anywhere near the Southeast today.
Sources with the Presidency disclosed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the region convinced the President not to return to the Southeast to honour Otti’s invitation, since the governor remains adamant against returning to the party.
“Instead of the President, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has been mandated to be in Umuahia to perform the ribbon cutting,” the source explained, adding that some political leaders in Abia do not want the President’s closeness with Otti.
Recall that on January 4, when Tinubu toured Enugu State to commission some legacy projects embarked upon by Governor Peter Mbah, he described the state governor and his Abia counterpart as “my friends”.
The President also praised his “Lagos neighbours” for their great initiatives, even as he enjoined other technocrats from the private sector to join politics and speed up development in their areas.
