A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Monday Onyekachi Ubani, has declared that Abia State, once synonymous with governance failure, has undergone a remarkable transformation under Governor Alex Otti, describing the development as a clear case of institutional redemption driven by competence, accountability, and the rule of law.
Ubani made the remarks in a dinner speech delivered at the just concluded Eastern Bar Forum Quarterly Meeting held in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, between January 23 and 25, 2026. The gathering brought together senior lawyers from across the South East to deliberate on professional and national issues, with governance emerging as a central theme.
Speaking to an audience of legal practitioners, Ubani framed Abia’s political journey in legal terms, likening the state to a long standing defendant that had spent years in the dock, charged with misgovernance, abuse of public trust, and neglect of citizen welfare.
“For many years, Abia stood perpetually on trial,” he said, noting that the evidence of failure had been overwhelming. He recalled a period when workers were owed salaries and pensions for months, public infrastructure collapsed, hospitals deteriorated, and budgeting became a ritual without results. According to him, governance in the state had become opaque, institutions were weakened, and citizens were conditioned to expect little from government.
Ubani lamented that judicial funding was treated as a discretionary favour rather than a constitutional obligation, while decision making often occurred without transparency or accountability. In his words, Abia was governed “not by policy, but by motions without written addresses,” a metaphor he used to describe the absence of structure and coherence in governance.
He argued, however, that the narrative began to change with the emergence of Governor Alex Otti, whom he described as a leader who approached governance with discipline rather than drama.
“Otti did not come with slogans. He came with systems,” Ubani said, adding that the governor adopted a technocratic approach anchored on data, planning, and execution. According to him, within a little over two years, Abia’s governance file changed significantly, producing what he described as the first truly favourable judgment in the state’s political and economic history.
Ubani pointed to regular payment of salaries as one of the most visible shifts, describing it as a revolutionary act in a state once plagued by chronic arrears. He said pension backlogs, previously ignored as inherited liabilities, are now being systematically addressed, while public finance management has shifted from patronage to clear priorities.
On infrastructure, the senior lawyer noted that long abandoned roads across Aba, Umuahia, and other major corridors have been rehabilitated. He stressed that the projects go beyond cosmetic repairs and are instead designed to support economic productivity. According to him, the infrastructure renewal has restored public confidence, with citizens increasingly believing that taxes are being put to work and that Abia is once again open for business.
Ubani also highlighted improvements in the judiciary and adherence to the rule of law, an issue he described as particularly personal to members of the legal profession. He said the Otti administration recognises the judiciary as a co equal arm of government rather than a subordinate department.
“Court orders are respected, and judicial funding has improved significantly,” he said, adding that the rule of law in Abia is now treated as governance infrastructure rather than legal theory.
He further observed that civil servants in the state are no longer passive spectators. According to him, merit, accountability, and structure are increasingly defining the civil service, with files moving, decisions traceable, and systems designed to outlive individuals. In legal terms, he said, Abia has shifted from “government by affidavit to government by proof.”
Beyond the state, Ubani argued that Abia’s experience is quietly reshaping governance expectations across the old Eastern Region and even nationally. He said the transformation demonstrates that good governance is neither mystical nor elitist, and that integrity is not incompatible with politics.
“Abia has become living evidence that Nigeria’s governance crisis is not incurable,” he said. “It only requires the right diagnosis and disciplined treatment.”
Turning to the role of lawyers, Ubani cautioned members of the Eastern Bar Forum against complacency. While commending the reforms recorded so far, he urged legal practitioners to defend institutions, insist on accountability, and resist any attempt to reverse the gains achieved.
“Bad governance, like a recalcitrant defendant, is always seeking a loophole,” he warned.
He challenged lawyers across the country to move beyond complaints in private chambers and become more active in civic and political engagement. According to him, persistent governance failure should compel professionals to participate directly in shaping leadership at the grassroots or even seek elective office.
Ubani argued that the Abia example proves that technocrats can govern, integrity can win elections, and competence is not anti politics. He warned against political apathy among lawyers, stressing that democracy, like litigation, favours those who show up prepared and courageous.
In his concluding remarks, Ubani said Abia has won its case at the trial stage, but cautioned that good governance, like a good judgment, can be overturned if not protected. He urged Abians, particularly legal practitioners, to act as custodians of the reforms already achieved.
“Abia delayed justice for too long,” he said. “Thankfully, the court of governance is finally sitting, and the judgment is speaking for itself. The task now is to defend it.”
The Eastern Bar Forum meeting was hosted by the Abia State Attorney General, Mr Ikenna Uwanna, SAN, and featured discussions on governance, institutional reform, and the responsibility of the legal profession in Nigeria’s democratic development.
