Governor of Abia State | |
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Executive Branch of the Abia State Government | |
Style |
|
Type | |
Member of | |
Residence | Abia State Government House |
Seat | Umuahia |
Appointer | Direct popular election or via succession from deputy governorship |
Term length | Four years renewable once |
Constituting instrument | Constitution of Nigeria |
Inaugural holder | Frank Ajobena |
Formation | 27 August 1991 |
Deputy | Deputy Governor of Abia State |
Website | abiastate |
The governor of Abia State is the head of government of Abia State in Nigeria. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the Abia State Government. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Abia State House of Assembly, to convene the legislature and grant pardons.
When Abia State was created from Imo State in 1991, Group Captain Frank Ajobena was appointed its first governor. Three governors Orji Uzor Kalu (1999–2007), Theodore Orji (2007–2015) and Okezie Ikpeazu (2015–2023) served for two consecutive terms of 4 years.
Since the creation of the state in 1991, 10 people have served as governor, 5 military governors and 5 civilian governors. Ajobena served the shortest term in office of 4 months.
The current governor is Alex Otti, he was sworn in on 29 May 2023. [1]
The Constitution of Nigeria requires that an aspiring candidate for the office of Abia State governor must:
Abia State is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, it is bordered to the northwest by Anambra State and northeast by the states of Enugu, and Ebonyi, Imo State to the west, Cross River State to the east, Akwa Ibom State to the southeast, and Rivers State to the south. Abia is the only Southeastern state that has boundaries with the other four Southeastern states in Nigeria. It takes its name from the acronym for four of the state's most populated regions: Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo. The state capital is Umuahia while the largest city and commercial centre is Aba.
Orji Uzor Kalu is a Nigerian politician and businessman who is the senator representing Abia North Senatorial District. He served as governor of Abia State from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. Kalu is the chairman of SLOK Holding and the Daily Sun and New Telegraph newspapers in Nigeria.
Onyema UgochukwuCON is a Nigerian economist, journalist, and politician. Ugochukwu served as the senior Special Adviser on Communication to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and the first Executive Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). On 25 February 2008, an Abia State elections tribunal declared Ugochukwu the winner of the 2007 gubernatorial election and Governor-elect of Abia State. However, on 11 February 2009 an appeal court in Port Harcourt overturned the ruling, declaring that Theodore Orji of the PPA had in fact won the election.
Theodore Ahamefule Orji is a Nigerian politician who served as the senator representing Abia Central senatorial district from 2015 to 2023. He previously served as the governor of Abia State from 2007 to 2015. He was formerly a career civil servant, and served as the chief of staff to Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu.
Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe is a Nigerian politician who has served as the senator representing Abia South senatorial district since 2007. He previously served as deputy governor of Abia State from 1999 until his resignation and subsequent impeachment in March 2003. He was the minority leader in the 9th senate.
Clement David Ebri is a Nigerian politician who was elected on the NRC platform as Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria between January 1992 and November 17, 1993 during the Nigerian Third Republic, leaving office after the military coup that brought General Sani Abacha to power. He was a strong supporter of General Ibrahim Babangida, who had initiated the short-lived third republic.
Nnenna Ijeoma Elendu Ukeje is a Nigerian politician who was the representative for Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State, Nigeria. Having had a successful career in the private sector, Nnenna was elected to the House of Representatives in 2007, She was re-elected to the position on 29 May 2011 and also served as the Chairman house committee on foreign affairs. In the 2015 general elections she was also re-elected to the house of representative and once again appointed as the house committee chairman on foreign affairs.
Eric Iheanacho "Acho" Nwakanma is a Nigerian politician, businessman and philanthropist, who served twice as the 4th and then the 6th Deputy Governor of Abia State, Nigeria on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), from 2006 to 2007 under Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and again under Governor Theodore Orji from 2010 to 2011.
Okezie Victor Ikpeazu is a Nigerian politician and former Governor of Abia State, who was in office from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023. He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He was re-elected as the Governor of Abia state at the 9 March 2019 gubernatorial election. He ran for election at the 2023 Senatorial election for Abia South Senatorial District but came a distant third behind incumbent Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of All Progressive Grand Alliance and a political newbie Chinedu Onyeizu of the Labour Party.
Mao Arukwe Ohuabunwa is a Nigerian politician, businessman and a former Senator who represented Abia North Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly having served in the 4th and 5th National Assembly as Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia constituency of Abia State under the People's Democratic Party between 1999 and 2007.
The deputy governor of Abia State is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the government of Abia State, Nigeria, after the governor of Abia State, and ranks first in line of succession. The deputy governor is directly elected together with the governor to a four-year term of office.
Rt. Hon. Sir, Ude Oko Chukwu (FCA) (FCA) is a Nigerian accountant and politician who served as Deputy Governor of Abia State from May 2015 to May 2023 after he was elected into office in 2015 under the platform of the People's Democratic Party. Prior to his swearing-in as Deputy Governor, he had served as the Speaker of the 5th Abia State House of Assembly.
The Chief Judge of Abia State is the title or office appointed to the head of the judiciary of the Abia State Government. The Chief Judge is appointed by the Governor of Abia State to preside over the state's High Court and also to oversee and supervise its unified court system. The incumbent Chief Judge is Justice Lilian Abai, who was appointed into the position by Alex Otti in May 2023.
Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji is a Nigerian politician and former member of parliament who represented Umuahia Central State Constituency. He served as the 11th Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly since June 10, 2019 till June 10, 2023. He was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly on the 10th of June, 2019 during the Inauguration of the 7th Abia State House of Assembly.
The 2003 Abia State gubernatorial election occurred on April 19, 2003. Incumbent Governor, PDP's Orji Uzor Kalu won election for a second term, defeating his former deputy, ANPP's Eyinnaya Abaribe, and two other candidates.
The 1999 Abia State gubernatorial election occurred in Nigeria on January 9, 1999. The PDP nominee Orji Uzor Kalu won the election, defeating the APP candidate.
Benjamin Okezie Kalu, is a Nigerian politician who is the current deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria since 2023, he won election to the position unopposed. He is representing Bende federal constituency in the House.
The 2023 Abia State gubernatorial election took place on 18 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Abia State, concurrent with elections to the Abia State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election—which was postponed from its original 11 March date—will be held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent PDP governor Okezie Ikpeazu was term-limited and could not seek a third term. Alex Otti, a banker, gained the office for the Labour Party by a margin of victory over first runner-up and PDP nominee—Okey Ahiwe, the former Chief of Staff to Ikpeazu.
The 2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Abia State will be held on 25 February 2023, to elect the 3 federal Senators from Abia State, one from each of the state's three senatorial districts. The elections will coincide with the 2023 presidential election, as well as other elections to the Senate, and elections to the House of Representatives; with state elections being held two weeks later. Primaries were held between 4 April and 9 June 2022.