Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District since 2007, yesterday (Wednesday August 20, 2025) presented what he described as his scorecard at a town hall meeting in Aba.
The meeting, which drew community leaders, stakeholders, and constituents from across the six LGAs of Abia South, offered the Senator another opportunity to highlight projects and interventions credited to his name over the years.
While Abaribe outlined several initiatives spanning education, infrastructure, and empowerment, many constituents and observers argue that his 18 years in the Senate have delivered little compared to the vast resources, opportunities, and influence available to him as one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the country.
Claimed Achievements (2007–2025)
The Senator cited the installation of solar-powered streetlights in 139 communities, distribution of school bags and uniforms to schools, rehabilitation of the Opobo–Azumini road, and a ₦235 million investment in a 33KVA transmission line as evidence of his developmental impact.
He also pointed to provisions in the 2025 Appropriation Act for projects such as the completion of the Obehie Sports Centre, youth and women training programmes, and the supply of transformers.
In employment and empowerment, Abaribe said he had facilitated the recruitment of 10 constituents into federal establishments, and sponsored bills including the amendment of the Electricity Act, establishment of a Federal University of Petroleum and Geological Sciences in Ukwa West, and a motion to immortalize Professor Humphrey Nwosu.
However, critics insist that Abaribe’s record falls far short of the expectations for a Senator who has represented Abia South for nearly two decades.
Community stakeholders note that outside a few scattered interventions, most parts of the district still grapple with decaying roads, poor healthcare facilities, unemployment, and lack of meaningful federal presence. Many argue that 10 job placements in 18 years pale in comparison to the needs of thousands of unemployed youths across the zone.
Similarly, some projects he highlighted—such as school bags, solar lights, and road patchworks—are viewed by critics as token gestures rather than transformative interventions befitting a senior legislator with national clout.
Political Positioning
In what appeared to be a political calculation, Senator Abaribe used the occasion to pledge support for Governor Alex Otti’s 2027 re-election bid and reaffirmed his loyalty to Mr. Peter Obi as his preferred presidential candidate.
But for many constituents, such endorsements do little to mask lingering dissatisfaction over what they describe as “18 years of underwhelming representation.”
As one Aba resident at the event put it: “Senator Abaribe talks about solar lights and bags, but look around—our roads are collapsing, industries are dead, and Aba has not changed under his watch.”
For now, the Senator remains one of Abia’s most experienced politicians, but whether history will judge his 18 years in the Senate as impactful or wasted remains a matter of sharp debate in Abia South.
