NEWS
Abia Sets September 23 for Solemn Assembly, Covenant Renewal Ahead of 2027 Elections
The Abia State Government has announced plans to hold a Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service as part of efforts to seek divine guidance, give thanks for God’s faithfulness and recommit the affairs of the state into His hands ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The programme, themed “Remembering the Covenant,” is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at the JAAC Auditorium, Ogurube Layout, Umuahia.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Coordinator of the programme, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, disclosed the development while briefing journalists in Umuahia, explaining that the gathering would provide an opportunity for the state’s leadership and other stakeholders to reflect on the journey of Abia and renew the covenant entered into with God at the inception of the present administration.
According to the commissioner, the initiative is rooted in the administration’s desire to acknowledge God’s faithfulness to Abia while seeking continued guidance and direction as the state moves into another political season.
Prince Nwachukwu, while recounting the history of the state, said Abia had experienced several difficult periods since its creation in 1991, including years in which the state attracted negative national attention over allegations concerning the involvement of political leaders in traditional shrines.
“For all those who have been in Abia, the story of our state is well known.
“From the time of our creation as a state in 1991, the various leaders had given their best, but the state had serious and terrible challenges.
“It was in this state, at one time, that it became national news that leaders were put into some kind of shrines for allegiance.
“And it became a national embarrassment over a state called in the name of God,” Prince Nwachukwu said.
The commissioner said the situation contributed to a perception of Abia as a state struggling with poor governance and underdevelopment, while successive efforts to change the political direction of the state in 2015 and 2019 did not yield the desired outcome.
He said the eventual emergence of Governor Alex Otti represented a significant turning point, describing the 2023 election as the outcome of persistent prayers and efforts by people seeking a new direction for the state.
“At the third trial, it was the God of Trinity that showed forth His mighty power and broke the chain of enslavement, the chain of occultism and destroyed the unity of darkness and brought in His light through Otti’s election as governor,“ he said.
Prince Nwachukwu further recalled the widespread jubilation that accompanied Otti’s declaration as governor, followed by a seven-day fasting and prayer exercise coordinated by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).
He explained that the spiritual exercise culminated in the rededication of Abia to God at Ngwa High School, Aba, where the administration entered into a covenant with God.
With the 2027 general elections approaching and political activities expected to intensify from October, the commissioner said the government considered it appropriate to return to the covenant and express gratitude for the journey so far.
“As we get into another season of election, by next month, October, campaigns may start in full swing, it was the thinking of the governor and his leadership that same God, we need to go and thank Him for thus far He has led us, and renew this covenant,” he said.
Unlike the 2023 open-field dedication, Prince Nwachukwu explained that the September 23 Solemn Assembly would be a more structured gathering held strictly by invitation.
The event is expected to bring together major religious, political and administrative stakeholders from across Abia, reflecting the government’s intention to have representatives of the various arms and levels of leadership participate in the covenant renewal.
Those expected include church leaders, political appointees at both state and local government levels, as well as elected officials ranging from councillors, deputy mayors and mayors to members of the Abia State House of Assembly and the National Assembly.
The Governor and his deputy are also expected to participate in the programme alongside the First Lady, commissioners, permanent secretaries, the Head of Service, local government heads of service, directors and deputy directors.
The programme will also extend beyond the September 23 gathering, with the state government announcing additional days of fasting and thanksgiving across religious congregations in Abia.
Prince Nwachukwu said churches across the state would observe a day of fasting on Thursday, September 24, in their respective locations.
He further announced that thanksgiving services would be held in all Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) churches on Saturday, September 26, while other churches would hold their thanksgiving services on Sunday, September 27.
Also speaking on the initiative, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the Solemn Assembly was conceived against the backdrop of the present administration’s belief in seeking divine direction and committing the affairs of the state into God’s hands.
Prince Kanu stressed the relevance of the programme as political activities surrounding the 2027 general elections begin to gain momentum, positioning the covenant renewal as an opportunity for the state’s leadership and faith communities to reflect on the journey so far and seek continued guidance for the affairs of Abia.
The September 23 gathering will therefore serve as a major spiritual component of the state’s activities as Abia prepares to enter another election cycle, bringing together religious leaders, elected officials and members of the political and administrative establishment for a collective moment of 
thanksgiving, reflection and covenant renewal.